Terra Australis Incognito
by Tony McD
Summary: Buffy, Willow, and Xander have their lives turned upside down and embark on a new destiny together. (B/W/X). First of my Terra/Trinity/Destiny series.
1. Default Chapter

TITLE: Terra Australis Incognito 1-3/29  
  
AUTHOR: Tony McD DISCLAIMER: All characters belong to Joss Whendon, Mutant Enemy, WB and  
  
others. This is for fun, not profit.  
  
SUMMARY: Buffy, Willow, and Xander have their lives turned upside down and embark on a new destiny together. (B/W/X). First of my Terra/Trinity/Destiny series.  
  
SPOILERS: AU around season 4.  
  
RATING: R (for language) Authors Note: David McWray is based on a real person (and close friend) serving in the Australian SASR. Godspeed my friend, and may you return home safely.  
  
Chapter 1  
  
He sat on the rocky outcropping over looking the vast empty outback that he called home. It was only 8 am but it was already 30 degrees C and climbing. He didn't notice the heat, for he was born here. As was his father, and his grandfather, and his father before him. Indeed his family and his people stretched back 100,000 years if the latest evidence was to be believed. He was considered to be an old man by those who knew him. By their standards he was. In a few short months he would mark 100 years since his birth but his body was that of a man half his age. No doubt due to the ancient magic that flowed through him.  
  
He had dedicated his life to preserving his peoples' culture, stories, and magic. He became a repository for much that was ancient. He was determined that the knowledge he had acquired would be passed on for future generations. But for that to happen there had to be a future for the coming generations to live in. And so began his involvement with the Watchers Council. His thoughts were interrupted by a familiar presence.  
  
"G'day David" the old man said without turning to face the young man.  
  
"Hello old man. Am I interrupting anything?" David asked.  
  
"No. Come sit with me so we can talk."  
  
David sat beside the old man. The rock was hot but David paid no attention to it. While he had not been born here, he had grown up here, cared for by the old man who sat beside him. The old man was not his father but David had come to see him as such. As for David's real father, the old man had never told him who it was.  
  
"So, Albert. What thoughts are going through your wizened old head?" David asked.  
  
Albert smiled at the young man's gentle jibe. The years he spent with the Watchers Council had made Albert appreciate the unique Australian outlook and humour. Few places could you call someone a bastard and it be taken as a sign of genuine affection.  
  
"I was thinking about my birthday." Albert informed David.  
  
"You are not that bloody old!" David exclaimed. He could tell that Albert was worried about his age. "OK you're 100 soon but that's nothing."  
  
Albert looked at the young man with a raised eyebrow.  
  
"Over 100 years before your birth the British landed here in 1788. Aboriginals arrived here 100 000 years ago. Not too far to the west of here is the 3.5 billion year old fossil of the earliest life. Not to mention most of the rock around here is over 4 billion years old. So when you look at it you are just a baby compared to all of that. Try not to worry about it." David told him. Albert shrugged and sensed the young mans purpose in coming to him.  
  
"Where are you going this time?" Albert asked.  
  
"America." David told him.  
  
"Why?"  
  
"It is supposed to be a secret but since it ties in with you, kind of, I'll tell you."  
  
Albert looked at the young man with a little surprise. David's job as an officer in one of the world's most elite units, the Australian Special Air Service, didn't generally tie in with Albert at all. The Australian Army didn't deal with magic.  
  
"I got a call from Canberra telling me I had a meeting with the Prime Minister. When I got there and the PM and the Defence Minister were there. They told me that there was a problem with vampires being on the rise. Hey, did you know that the Defence Minister witnessed a vampire attack ten years ago and that the PM's father was a Watcher?"  
  
Albert nodded "I didn't know about the Defence Minister but the Prime Minister I knew about. I knew his father. He was a fool just like so many others on the Council."  
  
"But you're on the Council." David pointed out. Albert looked at David with an expression that said 'and your point being?' The two stared at each other for a moment before bursting out laughing.  
  
"OK" Albert said after they had stopped laughing, "what has this got to do with you going to America?"  
  
"Apparently the Yanks set up some special forces unit to handle vampires and demons. Unfortunately the Initiative, that's what they called these blokes, didn't just kill the demons. No, they went and captured them for experiments. So surprise, surprise; the demons get loose and the shit hits the fan. So the PM wants me to go over there and study their experiences. See what toys and tactics they used. Only this time we don't capture the vampires, we kill them. And I get to form a team that will do it when I get back."  
  
"Where exactly in America are you going?" Albert asked, his mind racing.  
  
"Sunnydale, California. Why? What's the problem?" David asked seeing the expression on Albert's face.  
  
"The Slayer," Albert breathed. "The Slayer."  
  
Chapter 2  
  
"The Slayer? What's she got to do with this?" David asked.  
  
"It is a long story and I need to give you the background to it all. Some of it you would have already been told. Some, you won't. Let's just say that it is important enough for you to shut up and listen until I finish." Albert grumped at David. David, for his part, was all ears. Albert began.  
  
"We Aboriginals have creation stories like any other people. For us the Great Creation Spirit, the Rainbow Serpent, created the World. She created the world and all living things, shaped the land and made it fit for people to live on. She also created spirits who were to protect the land and guide the people. Each spirit had a particular role, be it a sky spirit to bring rain or a guiding spirit to lead people in the way that least harmed the land. The Rainbow Serpent also gave free will to people and her spirits to chose the path that they would follow. This free will enabled people and spirits to chose good or evil. Some spirits decided that they would not serve the Rainbow Spirit who was now sleeping to regain her strength after creating the world. Some spirits wanted people to serve them, rather than the other way round. Some wanted to destroy the world and reshape it as they saw fit. Others had their own agenda."  
  
"So there were 2 camps of spirits, one good and one evil. And since good was not really into fighting, evil dominated the world. The only thing that stopped evil from destroying the world was the fact that evil was busy fighting itself to determine who would rule.  
  
"In the mean time good had decided that if they didn't get organized and fight evil then evil would destroy them all. So the good spirits came together and from which a number of spirits decided to become warriors for good with the others providing what help they could.  
  
"Eventually, after many great battles, good gained the upper hand over evil. Good, however, lacked the power to destroy all evil. So they used what power they had to lock as much of evil away from the world as possible. As evil was removed one fed on a human and mixed his blood with a man's blood. That person fed on another human and mixed their blood together. Thus were born vampires."  
  
"The Rainbow Serpent awoke and saw the destruction wrought by evil. She saw that vampires could very well mean the end of humans. She also saw that evil would try to escape its prison. So, before she left the world, the Rainbow Serpent created two warrior spirits to be placed in a man and a woman. These two spirits would give the person that they were in great strength, speed, and healing ability."  
  
"The female spirit, Shelgui, would hunt vampires. When she died, the spirit would go to another girl and continue the fight. She would become known as the Slayer. The male spirit, Gangui, would enter a baby the moment it was born. It would grow with the boy and become a powerful warrior. His destiny was to prevent evil from destroying the world. Once the man was killed, Gangui would wait until he was next needed. Gangui is currently in you David. Don't ask me why because I don't know, all I know is what I'm telling you." Albert said anticipating David's inevitable question.  
  
"Now we fast forward to the early 70's. I was in London, after having been finally accepted into the Watchers Council. I wasn't a Watcher as such as I didn't train a Slayer. Partly because I was already to old, partly because I wasn't a born Watcher, and partly because there has never been a Slayer born in Australia, as you know." David just nodded. He knew the reasons well.  
  
"I met this wayward character; hate-the-world, played rough, practiced magic for self pleasure or gain. For some reason we became good friends. He was rebelling against his destiny; he left Oxford and was doing anything to avoid his destiny. You see his father was a Watcher, as was his grandmother before him. He was destined to become a Watcher and he rebelled against it. We were quite an odd pair. He was fighting so hard to avoid becoming a Watcher and I had fought so hard to become one."  
  
"Anyway he was seeing a girl, my brother's grand-daughter, who was over there for a year on a working holiday. They ended up going their separate ways when she went back to Australia. He later did a foolish and fatal thing. He stopped rebelling and I helped him come to terms with what he did. I used what influence I had to get him back into Oxford and for him to be trained as a Watcher. My grand niece discovered she was pregnant to this lad when she returned to Australia. She had a difficult labour and died not to long after giving birth to a healthy baby boy.  
  
"A few years ago the Slayer was drowned by a Master Vampire. She was revived and she dusted the Master Vampire that did it. However, since she had died another Slayer was called. Now there are two Slayers. The original who died and another. From what I can tell, when the original Slayer died, Shelgui moved onto the next girl but when the original Slayer was revived Shelgui re-entered the original Slayer and left behind a daughter spirit.  
  
"On her 18th birthday the Council did it's stupid test. She passed but her Watcher was sacked for having a father's love for her. She then turned around and told the Council to go fuck itself. She still slays and her Watcher still guides and trains her."  
  
"They're in Sunnydale. The original Slayer is Buffy Summers. Her Watcher is the young man I met in London. He gave this ring to your mother before she left." Albert held up a ring with a snake pattern on the outside. David gasped.  
  
"You mean..."  
  
"Yes David. That man, the Slayer's Watcher, Rupert Giles, is your father."  
  
Chapter 3  
  
Spring in Sunnydale; thought Buffy, normally a time to be happy. The long dark winter nights were over, warm sunny days, new life emerging. And a time for romance. At that last thought Buffy frowned. The path of romance had been rocky to say the least for Buffy and her friends. She sighed as she recounted how each had gotten to their current state.  
  
After the disaster of Parker, Buffy had all but given up on romance. Then came Riley who ignited the old lusty feelings again. All seemed to go well, even after she found out about Riley and the Initiative. However it became apparent that it could not work out. The events of last year leading up to the death of Oz had turned Buffy against Riley. She both disliked and distrusted him. Then there was the matter of lusty feelings Buffy had for a certain friend. Xander 'can't win for losing guy' had had a very rough trip down lovers' lane. Miss French (the Praying Mantis Lady), Ampata (the life sucking Inca mummy), Cordelia (what was he thinking?), and finally Anya. Having become mortal, she discovered sex and Xander. At first it was purely physical but Xander began to fall in love with her. It was at this point that Anya decided to explore sex with other men and left in search of the perfect orgasm (or something like that). Xander now spent a lot of time listening to country music (the music of soul destroying pain he once told Buffy).  
  
Then there was Willow. Buffy's best friend was no better off then the rest of the Scooby gang. First Oz slept with another werewolf, which was bad enough without the fact that it was Willow who discovered the two naked in Oz's cage. After killing Verruca (and nearly Willow as well) Oz left. Heartbroken Willow found someone else to love. The fact that it was a big breasted, blond Wicca by the name Tara threw Buffy (not to mention Xander). Unfortunately it was not meant to be and once again Willow was heart broken.  
  
Then Oz returned to ask Willow for forgiveness. The bright spark that should have lit Willow's life was snuffed out. ADAM experimented with magic and raised the First Evil, which promptly destroyed him. The gang were now fighting for the world (again). Riley had it in for Oz (due to Oz being a werewolf and thus a 'demon') and gave him a faulty taser gun for the battle. The First Evil attacked Oz and, despite his own dislike for Oz, Xander tried to save Oz. He couldn't and Oz was killed, as was very nearly Xander. Xander hovered between this world and the next for ten long days. The strain was devastating on Willow.  
  
Buffy shook her head in an effort to remove the thoughts from her mind. A good hard run on the track field, followed by a quick shower and some slayage should do the trick, she thought. Exercise and killing big honking evil was a slayers comfort food.  
  
Once at the track Buffy started to stretch and look around. That's when she noticed the battle going on in the centre. It wasn't a battle in the strictest sense of the word. A group of about 20 or so guys were playing some form of game. It took a little while but Buffy deduced that it was some kind of football game with no rules other than destroy the player with the ball. The players were punching and kicking the ball around, tackling, and smashing into each other. Then one of the players managed to pick up the ball and kicked it. It was a big kick, huge in fact. A small knot of players at the far end of the field jostled for position to catch the ball, all the while keeping their eyes on the ball.  
  
One set of eyes, Buffy noticed, belonged to Riley.  
  
His bulky frame ensured that he would be in position to catch the ball. Then at the last moment, a player leapt up and, kneeling on Riley's shoulders caught the ball some 5 or 6 feet above Riley's head. Both Riley and the jumper crashed to earth with a bone-crunching thud.  
  
"Wow! Did you see that?" Willow exclaimed, startling the Slayer.  
  
"Willow! Scare me to death! What are you doing here? I thought you had an essay to write." Buffy said.  
  
"It's finished so I decided to come look for you. Say, isn't that Riley over there? I think I might turn him into a toad. How about it Buff?"  
  
Buffy looked at Riley who was slowly and painfully getting up of the ground. The guy who jumped him was racing down the field, bouncing the ball and showing no effect of the fall.  
  
"No, I think he is in enough pain as it is. Can I take a raincheck?" Buffy turned to Willow. "You know what I need? A holiday. A week or two with no vampires or demons or Hellmouth. Just laying down on a beach, catching some rays, no world in peril."  
  
"Well you know what they say, a change is as good as a holiday." Buffy just glared at Willow. "Or maybe not. What do 'they' know anyway?" Willow added quickly.  
  
Buffy turned to see Riley talking to the guy who had jumped him. She heard Riley tell him "OK, dawn at the cemetery. See you then." Riley then limped towards the locker room. Buffy's eyes narrowed somewhat. Riley, at the cemetery, at dawn. What ever it was it can't be any good, she thought to herself.  
  
"Willow, how about you and me go to the cemetery, say around dawn, just for a change?"  
  
*****  
  
In the pre dawn light Buffy and Willow patrolled the cemetery. "Whatever Riley is up to it can't be good." She whispered to herself for the tenth time.  
  
"What ever it is Buffy, it can't be vampires. Sunrise is only a few minutes away." Willow told her friend. It was at this point that they saw them. In the war cemetery was 6 or 7 figures gathered around a headstone with candles. They appeared to be chanting or reciting something. The Slayer and her friend crouched behind the low hedge that surrounded the war cemetery. Buffy strained to hear what they were saying.  
  
"...grow not old...not weary...condemn...going down of the sun...we will..."  
  
"What are they saying Buff?" Willow whispered. Buffy said nothing but placed her fingers on Willow's lips to silence her as she tried to use her Slayer hearing to listen it on what was being said. It was no use as whatever it was had ended. Buffy recognised Riley and the guy that jumped him from yesterday's game.  
  
"See you later Riley." The jumper guy said it an accent she couldn't quite pick. Still watching them depart Buffy said to Willow "OK I think they're gone. We should go tell Giles what..." Buffy had turned to face Willow and saw that she still had her fingers over Willow's lips. Willow was looking at Buffy with an expression that Buffy had not seen before.  
  
Thoughts flashed through the Slayers mind (lusty feelings for Willow! Bad Buffy! Bad Buffy!). Willow kissed Buffy's fingers. The world seemed to contract until there was just the two of them. Buffy closed her eyes as sparks shot down her fingers and ran down her spine. Buffy sighed and began to moan.  
  
Just then a dog started to bark and the two leapt to their feet ready for an attack. But there was no attack and the pair began breathing again. Willow looked startled and began to stutter. "I...I'm...s...so s...sorry...B...Buffy..." The Slayer looked at her friend and grabbed her hands.  
  
"Don't be sorry. I really liked it and..." Buffy looked down at her feet and then back at her friend, a coy look on her face. "...and it's too early to see Giles just yet. Let's go back to the dorm and." the coy look was gone and a look of sheer lust replaced it. "...maybe you can help wash my back? What do you say, Will?"  
  
Willow said nothing; she was unable to. Her fantasy was coming true. She just nodded and let Buffy lead her out of the cemetery.  
  
*****  
  
It was just before noon when Buffy and Willow got to Giles place. Buffy knocked. "Come in Buffy! I'm in the kitchen!" Giles called from inside. On entering they saw Xander lying on the couch with and ice pack on his head and a decidedly ill look on his face.  
  
"Xander! Don't tell me you've been cursed with syphilis again." Buffy remarked.  
  
"He hasn't been cursed by anything." Giles said as he entered the lounge room. "Good morning Buffy, Willow." he said.  
  
"Young Xander made a big mistake and tried to out drink an Aussie at the bar last night. Came in here at 2 in the morning singing something about tying a kangaroo down and passed out in the bath." Spike said from the kitchen. "Not a pretty picture this morning are you?" he asked Xander.  
  
"It feels like the Hellmouth has opened in my head and all the demons are having one big party. Buff, please slay me." Xander implored his friend. Buffy knew the hell Xander was going through. After the bad beer incident, Buffy had a hangover that measured on the Richter scale.  
  
"You'll live Xander, although I'm not sure you will want to." Buffy told him. She turned to Giles. "You'd think he would have learned about the evils of drinking by now?" she asked.  
  
"Yes quite." Giles said. "I'm sorry but what brings you here? Something you encountered last night?" Buffy told Giles about what had happened last night; except for the bit with Willow. "Fascinating, you can't remember anything else about this mysterious jumper can you? Something unusual?" Giles asked. Something about the ceremony was familiar but he couldn't put his finger on it.  
  
"Um, no. Wait, yes. He had a strange accent. British or something." Buffy told her Watcher.  
  
"Hey! Never call an Aussie a Pom. It's very insulting." A voice from the doorway said. Everyone turned and Buffy recognised him as the jumper. Buffy leapt up ready to attack. 


	2. Terra four to six

TITLE: Terra Australis Incognito 4-6/29  
  
AUTHOR: Tony McD (o163210@iprimus.com.au)  
  
DISCLAIMER: All characters belong to Joss Whendon, Mutant Enemy, WB and others. This is for fun, not profit.  
  
SUMMARY: Buffy, Willow, and Xander have their lives turned upside down and embark on a new destiny together. (B/W/X). First of my Terra/Trinity/Destiny series.  
  
SPOILERS: AU around season 4.  
  
RATING: R (for language)  
  
Chapter 4  
  
"Who are you?" Buffy demanded. "What are you doing here?"  
  
The man ignored her. "Rupert Giles? I'm David McWray, Albert Nameria told me to come and see you." Giles was surprised, thinking back to his old friend and the last time they spoke. Albert was one of the few on the Council who had defended him and still spoke to him.  
  
"Who the hell are..." the man cut off Buffy's tirade.  
  
"Chill out Slayer Barbie, all will be explained in good time." he said in a calm, even voice. He reached into his pocket and threw something to Giles.  
  
"Albert said you might be interested in that."  
  
Giles looked at the object. It was a set of dog tags on a metal chain and a ring with a snake pattern on the outside. Giles' eyes went wide.  
  
"Where did you get this?" Giles gasped.  
  
"We'll talk about that another time," the man said.  
  
Buffy was by now quite angry at being ignored like that. "Giles! What in God's name is." Giles cut her off.  
  
"Buffy! For heavens sake! Sit down and be quiet!" Giles snapped. Buffy reluctantly sat down. Xander looked surprised.  
  
"Hey, you're that Aussie that got me drunk last night!"  
  
Giles shook his head to clear his thoughts. "Uh... please come in and sit down Mr.."  
  
The Aussie laughed, "Please call me David," he said.  
  
"OK. David. Would you like a cup of tea?" Giles asked David.  
  
"Yes thanks, I'd love a cuppa." David said as he sat beside Xander. Giles went back into the kitchen.  
  
"OK, you've got some explaining to do. First off I saw you playing some kind of game with Riley, acting all buddy-buddy with him. Then this morning I saw both of you at the war cemetery doing some kind of magic ritual. Now I find out that you got Xander very drunk last night and you got told to see Giles by someone. What is going on?" Buffy hissed at David.  
  
"That game you saw us playing was called Aussie Rules and..."  
  
"Didn't look like there were too many rules out there." Willow chipped in.  
  
David continued. "...and I was playing with Riley and some of his friends and some backpackers from Melbourne. That so called magic ritual you saw this morning; today is April 25, which in Australia is ANZAC Day. We remember those that have fallen in war, kind of like your Memorial Day. It is traditional to hold the service at dawn..."  
  
Buffy cut him off. "What about that incantation thing?" she asked.  
  
"What incantation thing?" David asked, some what annoyed at being cut off continually.  
  
"You know. Not growing old, condemning, going down of the sun?"  
  
David looked at Buffy with an expression remarkably similar to the one that Giles gave her when she really began to annoy Giles.  
  
"They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old. Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn." At this point Xander joined in with David. "At the going down of the sun, and in the morning, we will remember them." There was a somber pause. "Lest we forget."  
  
"Xander, how did you know that?" Willow asked.  
  
"I remembered it from when I was army guy." he said. Something clicked in his head.  
  
"Hey. On that chain you gave to Giles. There was a set of dog tags on it. You in the army?" Xander asked.  
  
"What's this?" Giles asked as he returned with David's tea.  
  
"Thanks mate." David said as he took the cup. " Suppose I had better start from the beginning. Albert is a member of the Watchers Council and old friend of Rupert's during his young and wild days in London. Albert is also an Aboriginal tribal elder and practitioner of powerful ancient Aboriginal magic. He looked after me since I was a baby. Taught me the ways of the ancestors and of the Watchers. Of course there never having been an Australian Slayer he couldn't teach me everything."  
  
"Never an Aussie Slayer?" Spike asked.  
  
"No need. Until recently there were no vampires in Australia." David told him.  
  
"No vampires?" Buffy asked skeptically.  
  
"No vampires? Paradise here we come!" Xander whooped, only to be cut down by his blinding hangover.  
  
"You're telling me that until recently there were no vampires in Australia?" Spike asked, not quite believing what he heard.  
  
David sighed. "For tens of thousands of years Australia was a vampire free continent. The reasons behind it are a bit complicated but here goes. For 100,000 years the Aboriginals wandered Australia in small nomadic tribes. They were isolated from the rest of the world, they never built permanent houses or buildings, and they never developed metal technology. They lived in the driest, flattest, sunniest place on earth. They had an intimate knowledge of the land, and had powerful connections to the spirit world. Vampires never stood a chance."  
  
David saw that none of them got what he was trying to say.  
  
"Look, imagine you are a vampire 500 years ago. Even if you knew that Australia existed, which almost everyone didn't, how are you going to get there? Jumbo jet? No ship went anywhere near there. Even if you did, the trip would have taken almost two years and a vampire would have eaten the whole crew long before then. Say you got there? The sun is a huge problem. Australia is the sunniest place on earth. Hell, the sun kills thousands of people with skin cancer each year. Where are you going to stay? Book into a motel? Jump down a sewer? There was nothing there."  
  
"What about caves?" Spike asked, not believing there was a place too dangerous for him to be in.  
  
"Australia is the flattest place on earth which means not too many caves. Those caves that were around had underground water in them."  
  
"I don't mind getting wet to avoid the sun." Spike shot back smugly.  
  
David smiled. "You know how I said that Australia was the driest place on earth? Well because water was so scarce the Aboriginals believed it to be the blood of the Great Creation Spirit, The Rainbow Serpent. To them it was sacred, holy. Any water you came across was holy water. Now do you mind getting wet?" David asked Spike.  
  
Spike shut up.  
  
"Even if you found somewhere dry and out of the sun you still had huge problems to overcome. The very nature of your food source was a problem. There were only about 300,000 people living in Australia, a land that covers nearly 3 million square miles. They lived in small nomadic tribes. Your food was hard to come by. Even if you found them they were far from helpless. The Aboriginals never developed metal technology, so if they were going to attack you they wouldn't use guns or swords. They would use big wooden spears and spear you through the heart with them. They had an intimate knowledge of the land, they could detect you, track you and hunt you down very easily. Aborigines had a deep connection with the spirit world and had powerful magic to do all sorts of things."  
  
"A place with no vampires. Sounds like heaven." Buffy said quietly.  
  
"Not quite. Because they had no metal technology meant no silver, so were- creatures had pretty much free reign." David informed them.  
  
"So there were werewolves?" Willow asked.  
  
"No wolves in Australia. Mostly were-dingoes." David chuckled. "Dingoes ate my baby!" he said thinking of the infamous Lindy Chamberlain case she was almost right. David looked up and saw the discomfort on everyone's face. Willow looked like she was about to cry. Why is everyone so up set? There is a story behind this and I want to know David thought.  
  
"Thanks for the history lesson, but why are there vampires there now?" Spike asked.  
  
"British settlement in 1788. They built towns and cities, tunnels and sewers. The British nearly wiped out the Aboriginals with disease and slaughtered them like cattle. Water lost its holy status. The British had silver bullets to deal with the were-creatures. With the advent of the jumbo jet, the trip to Australia now takes 20 hours, depending on where you left from. Australia is like any other place now." David said with great sadness in his gray eyes.  
  
"OK, what has that got to do with us and Riley?" Buffy asked.  
  
"Not long ago I got an assignment. Vampires were becoming a real problem. My government wanted to see how the Initiative dealt with vamps. You know, tactics, weapons, that sort of thing. The difference is that we don't want to capture and study them. We want to kill them. So they sent me here to check out the Initiative. Riley is the liaison between me and his mob. When I told Albert that I was headed for Sunnydale he told me to see you guys. I'm here to learn from the Initiative, a Watcher, and the Slayer." David told them.  
  
There was a moment of silence before anyone spoke. Finally it was Xander who broke the silence. "I don't remember too much about last night, but I remember you said something about growing up on a station. What's the story with that?"  
  
David smiled and told them about his childhood, growing up on a massive cattle station in Western Australia, seeing the ocean for the first time when he was twelve, some of the experiences he had had. He didn't mention anything about Giles being his father. That was something that he would tell him later.  
  
"Extraordinary." Giles said. His stomach growled, reminding him that lunchtime had come and gone. "Would anyone like some sandwiches?" Giles asked. Everyone said yes and he went into the kitchen. When Giles returned with a plate piled with sandwiches David turned to Buffy.  
  
"So you've heard my story, what's the story with you guys? I bet is interesting to say the least."  
  
"My friend you have no idea just how interesting." Xander responded.  
  
Over the next few hours David learnt about how the Scooby Gang came into being and some of the things they had done.  
  
"Bugger me." David said in astonishment. "Only in America, hey?"  
  
"Only on the Hellmouth." Buffy corrected him. They all laughed. Giles got up and stretched and saw the sun low on the horizon.  
  
"Buffy, it's nearly sunset. Why don't you and Willow go back to the dorm and get ready for tonight's patrol." Giles told his Slayer. Buffy got up.  
  
"Come on Will, evil waits for no Slayer." She said. As the two girls got up to leave David asked, "Can I tag along tonight? You know, get some experience?"  
  
"I don't want you going on patrol until you have the proper training." Giles told David.  
  
"Yeah. I don't want to have to worry about looking after you while I'm out there." Buffy said. David became a little angry at this.  
  
"I think that Buffy and I should have a little training season at my place tomorrow. I think that will change your mind. How about it Slayer Barbie? You game?" David challenged Buffy.  
  
"Just tell me when and where so I can kick your sorry ass." Buffy replied, her eyes narrowing at the challenge.  
  
"How about 10am. My place, 1610 Elm Avenue. Rupert can come and referee." David turned to address the rest of the group. "Hey everyone, come to my place at 10 and see the Chosen One verses the Thunder from Down Under. Free admission for pensioners and children under five." In spite of himself Xander couldn't help but give a little laugh. Giles stepped between them.  
  
"Listen you two I..."  
  
"No Giles, I think Crocodile Dundee here is right. Let's see how good this so called Thunder from Down Under is." Buffy stared into David's eyes, a hard determined look on her face. Giles saw that he wasn't going to be able to talk sense into the two.  
  
"All right, save it for tomorrow." Giles said and turned to David. "You don't know what you are getting into, do you. Don't say I didn't warn you."  
  
"Fine 10am, 1610 Elm Avenue." Buffy said and walked out with Willow in tow. There was a silence, which Xander broke.  
  
"I had better get going. I start work in an hour." Xander said.  
  
"Where do you work?" David asked.  
  
"At the bar we met last night."  
  
"Great! I'll call a couple of friends and we'll have out ANZAC Day get together there." David turned to Giles. "Thanks for the hospitality and I'll talk to you later about the ring." David said with some seriousness in his voice. He turned, grabbed Xander and nearly dragged him out of the door.  
  
"Come on Xander, we've got a piss up to organize." David whooped as they left.  
  
Spike raised an eyebrow as they left. "I like him. He's got spunk." turning to Giles he said "I think tomorrow will be very interesting."  
  
Giles said nothing.  
  
Chapter 5  
  
David had made a few phone calls and went to his place to get a few things. Xander was setting up the bar when David walked in.  
  
"Xander, where's your boss?" David asked.  
  
"I'm right here," said Jack, the owner who was coming out of the back room. "What can I do for you?"  
  
"I'd like to hold a function here tonight and I want an open bar." David told Jack.  
  
"I don't know, it's a bit short notice." Jack replied. David pulled out a wad of notes and threw it to Jack. He looked down, amazed to see a wad of hundred dollar bills.  
  
"I want snacks and I want bar service. There are going to be quite a few people here and they can order anything they want. If the money runs out come and see me and I'll give you more."  
  
Jack looked at David. "Buddy, you got yourself a bar," he said.  
  
The bar was packed. David and his friends had managed to get a good number of the college students to come. Not too hard when there were free drinks, Xander thought. David had brought in a CD player, explaining to Xander, "I heard the crap that came out of the jukebox here last night. So I brought my own CD's. More appropriate music for the night."  
  
Xander didn't know if it was appropriate music or not. He had never heard of any of the bands but it was good music and the party was in full swing.  
  
"Xander!" David yelled over the music. "Another beer please!" Xander gave David another beer.  
  
"You do remember that you've got a session with Buffy tomorrow morning?" Xander reminded David. "You keep drinking like that Willow will be able to kick the shit out of you."  
  
"Xander, mate, don't worry. I think I'll be able to handle Buffy."  
  
"Riley said the same thing just before Buffy kicked him 20 feet across the room." Xander informed him.  
  
"Look, after tomorrow's session I'll explain everything to you and Giles. OK?" David said and wandered back to the crowd. Xander liked David. They shared the same sense of humor, David was a friendly guy who struck Xander as an older brother type of person.  
  
As the night went on David and Xander became good friends. It was good to have someone to laugh with and share funny stories. David was the first male friend Xander had since Jesse died and as such Xander was worried that Buffy would paste David in the morning. But every time that Xander expressed his concern David was very casual about it.  
  
When the function was over, David said good night to Jack and Xander and started to walk home. He hadn't gone too far when a voice hissed out "Hand over your cash!" David looked around only to see a man holding a large knife.  
  
"You're kidding! You realize how dangerous it is to be out at night, here?" David exclaimed.  
  
"Just give me your money or I'll slice you open." the mugger said. With lightning speed David grabbed the muggers knife hand and slammed his other hand into the muggers elbow. There was a sickening sound of bones snapping and the mugger cried out in agony, dropping the knife. David then kicked the mugger in the chest, breaking ribs and sending him flying across the alley.  
  
The mugger smashed into the wall and collapsed into a heap on the ground, unconscious and bleeding. David looked at the mugger.  
  
"Told you it was dangerous here." David said to the unconscious form. David then turned and walked away.  
  
"Maybe a vamp will get your sorry ass." David muttered as he left the alley.  
  
Chapter 6  
  
It was 10 o'clock and everyone had arrived at David's place. The place had started life as a small hotel at the end of the nineteenth century, complete with 20 bedrooms and a ballroom. It had a lively trade until the Great Depression when numbers of travelers who could afford to stay there plummeted. The final straw was the killing of the entire hotel guests and staff one night in the early thirties by a group of Vampires. The police of the day attributed the vicious killing to gangsters. It had sat abandoned for decades until now.  
  
David greeted everyone instructed them to enter around the back as the lobby floor still had wet lacquer on it. As they passed through the simple garden at the back, Xander looked at David in amazement. * Damn! David is showing no sign of the huge amount of alcohol he drank last night. He definitely handles his booze better than my father. * he thought. He then looked over at Spike in his leather motorbike outfit and helmet with darkened visor. In order for Spike to move around during the day, Spike had taken up wearing this get up, much to the amusement of Xander.  
  
They entered the ballroom that David had converted into a gym and workout area. All the equipment had been removed and a small wooden box sat in the center of the room.  
  
"All right listen up." David said, reaching into the box and pulling out two stakes. "The idea here is for Buffy and I to try to stake each other." David saw the look of alarm on Willow's face.  
  
"Relax Willow. They're rubber, see?" David reassured her by bending the rubber stakes. A relieved Willow sat with the others on the bench along one wall. David removed the box and stood in the center of the room facing Buffy.  
  
He threw her her stake. Buffy just looked at him with cold hard eyes. "Whoever stakes the other first wins. Understand?" A nod from Buffy.  
  
On the bench Spike leaned over to the Watcher. "I've got twenty bucks that says the Aussie beats her." Spike murmured to Giles.  
  
"This is not something you bet on, Spike." Giles whispered harshly. Giles softened his tone. "I'll meet your wager. But I say David will be lucky to survive." Giles wanted to desperately talk to David to find out where he had gotten the ring. After this, provided that David was still conscious, Giles would take him aside and talk.  
  
"May the best person win." David said and bowed to Buffy. Buffy snapped off a blisteringly fast kick aimed at David's bowed head. It hit nothing but air. David had spun inside Buffy, lifted her leg higher and swept her other foot away.  
  
Buffy landed on her back on the floor. Immediately she rolled away to avoid David's stake to her heart. She flipped onto her feet and faced David again. Buffy launched a vicious right hook at David's head, only to have him duck under it, grab her arm and flip her over his shoulder in a classic Judo move.  
  
On the floor once again, Buffy flicked her feet up and caught David's head with them. With a massive grunt, she sent him flying across the room where he crashed into the wall. Quickly both got to their feet and advanced on each other again. A right from David was ducked under and she delivered an elbow to the ribs. A back fist sent her reeling backwards.  
  
David managed to knock the stake out of Buffy's hand and went to stake her. She caught the hand with the stake in it with her left hand and tried to punch David in the head with the right, only to have him catch it. The two were locked together.  
  
David dropped to the ground and started to roll backwards. He placed his feet on her chest and as she rolled over the top of him, he flicked his legs and sent her sailing into the wall. Buffy got up.  
  
"CATCH!" David yelled as he hurled Buffy's stake at her heart. She caught it an inch from its intended target. She gave David an evil smile. "Nice try." she told him before launching herself at David again.  
  
Everyone sitting to the side was stuck speechless. They had all seen Buffy fight before, but they had never seen a fight like this. They had been at it for nearly half an hour. Giles' concerns for David's safety were groundless as David had punched, kicked, threw, and blocked as well as Buffy. It was clear that David had supernatural strength and stamina similar to Buffy's. David had speed and skill; Buffy had passion and ingenuity. Both had determination to win. Neither could deliver the stake to the heart to win it. Puffing heavily, drenched in sweat, they circled each other, eyeing each other off, waiting for the others next move.  
  
*Damn he's good!* thought Buffy. *it's so even that I'm going to have to wait for him to make a mistake.*  
  
*Holy shit! She sure can fight. I'll have to force an error from her if I'm to win this.* David thought. *Maybe I'll use a little mojo, but that ain't fair.* A voice from David's basic combat course entered his mind.  
  
*If it's a fair fight then you aren't doing your job properly.* A smile formed on his face as a plan came to mind.  
  
Buffy watched as David crouched and leapt up and over Buffy's head. Buffy stepped forward to give herself some room and turned to face David when he landed.  
  
THUMP! David landed in front of her. THUMP! Another David landed to her right. THUMP! Another David landed to her left. THUMP! Yet another David landed behind her.  
  
"What the fu.." Buffy started to say but the David to her left threw a punch. Buffy ducked and delivered a roundhouse kick aimed at his head. She watched in amazement as her foot passed right through his head. Her spider sense was screaming to turn around as the real David came in for the kill.  
  
David was surprised that Buffy was able to react to the illusion and how quick turned to face the real threat. A series of punches and kicks saw both of them on the ground with Buffy on top of David.  
  
"You think that magic will help you win this?" an extremely pissed off Slayer roared. In an instant David came up with a last ditch plan.  
  
"No, just this." he said, and then he kissed her.  
  
It was meant to be a quick kiss to stun her for the second or two he needed. No one expects to be kissed during a fight. It was meant to surprise her. It ended up a spiritual event; literally.  
  
Magic passed through their lips as they met. The two ancient spirits, Gangui and Shelgui, touched for the first time in tens of thousands of years.  
  
The experience left them both stunned and unable to move. Buffy was the first to shake off the stupor. She leapt up, grabbed her bag and left with a very upset Willow trailing in her wake. The silence after their departure was thick.  
  
It was Spike who spoke up.  
  
"Well, who bloody won?" 


	3. Terra seven to nine

TITLE: Terra Australis Incognito 7-9/29  
  
AUTHOR: Tony McD (o163210@iprimus.com.au)  
  
DISCLAIMER: All characters belong to Joss Whendon, Mutant Enemy, WB and  
  
others. This is for fun, not profit.  
  
SUMMARY: Buffy, Willow, and Xander have their lives turned upside down and embark on a new destiny together. (B/W/X). First of my Terra/Trinity/Destiny series.  
  
SPOILERS: AU around season 4.  
  
RATING: R (for language)  
  
Chapter 7  
  
David watched as Buffy left with Willow, then muttering something under his breath, he picked up a towel and wiped the sweat off his face.  
  
"What the hell was that?" Xander asked with a touch of anger in his voice. Although his friendship with the other members of the Scooby Gang was almost non-existent, Xander still felt an obligation to protect them when he could.  
  
"Look, I'm going to get a drink and then we can sit down and talk. OK?" David told them. He led them to the games room where he went behind the bar.  
  
"Anyone want a drink while I'm here? Orange juice? Tea?" David asked.  
  
Rather distracted, Xander and Giles said no. David grabbed a juice and went around to sit in the sofa at the other end of the room. He watched as Giles and Xander looked around the games room in awe. Shifting into serious mode, Giles sat down opposite David.  
  
"You wanted to explain something?" Giles asked, hoping to get to the bottom of how David got the ring he gave him the day before. Xander now came and sat beside Giles, interested in what just happened between him and Buffy.  
  
"OK, to start with, yes I used magic to create those illusions of me during the fight. Yes I do practice Aboriginal magic and no, that wasn't Aboriginal magic. That's why I've got this feeling of ickyness and unease right now." David said with a little shudder. Anytime he used non- Aboriginal magic he was left with a sense of wrongness, it felt dirty. He didn't like doing it but sometimes he had to.  
  
"OK then, what was the kissing all about?" Xander asked.  
  
"Look, I'm trained to fight. Part of my training is to use the unexpected to shock my opponent into inactivity for a few seconds so I can use that time to strike. What's the last thing you expect in a fight? A kiss would have to be right up there at the top of the list, right? So I kissed her. I didn't anticipate what happened."  
  
"What happened?" Giles asked.  
  
"Look, the spirit that gives Slayers like Buffy their abilities is called Shelgui. The spirit that gives me my abilities is called Gangui. When I kissed Buffy these two spirits met and connected for a moment. That's why it was such an intense kiss. I'm not here to seduce Buffy and we are not soulmates, OK? I'm not here to score with anybody. For some reason Buffy gives me the shits, she isn't my type."  
  
"What is your type of woman then?" Xander asked sarcastically.  
  
"Well the truth be told I'd say Willow. Red heads float my boat for some reason." David replied.  
  
"You've got exactly zero chance with her." Xander muttered.  
  
"Xander, I'm here to get some vampire experience and clear up some family matters. I'm not here to chase chicks."  
  
"What family matters?" Giles asked.  
  
"It is very personal and involves you. I'm happy for Xander to hear this but are you?" David asked Giles. Giles didn't quite know what to say.  
  
"That's OK, G man. I'll leave you two to talk." Xander said getting up.  
  
"Xander, do us a favor please? Take Spike with you and could you explain what happened to Buffy. I don't want her getting the wrong idea. OK?" David asked Xander. Xander nodded and left.  
  
When Giles and David were alone, Giles pulled out the ring. "Where did you get this?" Giles asked.  
  
"Just before she left London, my mother became pregnant, although she didn't know this until she got back to Australia. That ring was given to my mother by my father." It took Giles a few moments to grasp the implication of what David said.  
  
Giles was speechless.  
  
Tears formed in both of their eyes. The two embraced.  
  
"G'day Dad, I'm home."  
  
Chapter 8  
  
As Giles and David were coming to terms with their new family relationship, a rather angry and depressed Xander was returning from Buffy and Willow's dorm. Things had not gone well. Buffy was extremely upset and so was Willow for that fact. It seemed odd to Xander that Willow was so worked up about what happened. There was something more going on but Xander could not figure it out. Once, he knew Willow. Now she had become as unfathomable as a black hole.  
  
Xander had explained the reason behind what happened at David's place. Well, he had tried to explain but, between Willow and Buffy hanging onto each other and crying and Buffy screaming obscenities at Xander and David, he got exactly nowhere with it. After five or ten minutes of crying and yelling, Xander was practically thrown out of their dorm.  
  
Xander was angry with David for doing such a stupid thing to get Buffy upset. He was even angrier at Buffy and Willow for over reacting to what Xander saw as a minor thing. He was angry at the way that they had treated him, at some of the things they said. He was depressed because his two closest friends, who had been drifting from him for a long time, hardly seemed like friends at all now. Xander had gained a new best friend, it seemed, at the expense of two old former friends. He trudged off home to get ready for work.  
  
Giles and David sat in silence, their emotions largely controlled.  
  
Giles gathered up his thoughts. "Why didn't Albert tell me I was a father? I mean don't I have a right to know such important matters?"  
  
"I was angry too when I found out. But I've had a bit of time to think about it. I think Albert did the right thing." David held up his hand to silence Giles' inevitable objection.  
  
"Here me out, please. OK let's think this through. It would have taken Mum a while to figure out she was pregnant. Then it would have been a bit longer before she told Albert. By then you were back at Oxford and undergoing your Watcher training. He could tell that you were destined to be one of the greatest Watchers one day. You had just began to get your life back together. If he had told you about me, you would have left to take up a role as father. You would not have become a Watcher, Buffy would have got some prissy dill as her Watcher, she would have been killed and we would be up to our armpits in hell, fire, and brimstone right now. So when you think about it, Albert did the right thing."  
  
Giles looked at David, thinking about what he had said. Maybe he was right, but it still felt wrong.  
  
"Logically I can understand his reasoning, but I still feel it was wrong." Giles said.  
  
"I can understand that. But I think in the long run we both benefited. You became a kick ass Watcher who told the Council to stick it where the sun don't shine." David said with a cheeky little look on his face. "And I got to be raised in Australia and not in England."  
  
"What's wrong with England?" Giles asked somewhat surprised.  
  
"Try asking what isn't wrong with England." David smiled. Giles had to smile at the friendly jab at England.  
  
"Bloody colonials!" Giles implored looking to the heavens. They both laughed, comfortable enough to enjoy the friendly banter. Giles noticed that David's sense of humor was similar to Xander's. A bit drier perhaps, but quite similar. Again there was a comfortable silence as each man got lost in his thoughts.  
  
"So what now? With us?" David asked.  
  
"I don't know."  
  
"Well, maybe it's best we keep this to ourselves for a while. Just till we get things straight between us." David suggested. Giles nodded.  
  
"Yes, let's get a little more comfortable with this before we tell Buffy and the rest. I want us to be OK before we hit them with this."  
  
"Yep, no sense everyone getting into a flat spin."  
  
It had been a slow night at the pub and Xander was bored out of his mind. He absently wiped the bar top for the third time in ten minutes.  
  
"Mate!" a voice called out. Looking up Xander saw David come in wearing an overcoat and a big goofy grin. Seeing the unhappy look on Xander's face, David sat on a stool and ordered a beer. Xander returned with the beer.  
  
"What's wrong? Didn't things go well with Buffy?" he asked. Xander sadly shook his head. David grumbled in sad frustration. * Women, can't live with them, can't legally kill them.*  
  
"Look, Xander. How about we blow this popcorn stand and kick some undead ass? Sounds good?" David asked.  
  
"I can't, I'm working. See?" Xander said holding up his dishcloth.  
  
David looked around and saw Jack, the owner at the far end of the bar. "Jack! Mate! How's it going?" David asked.  
  
"Good, David, good. A bit quiet though tonight. What's up? You looking to throw another party? If so I'm your man." Jack said smiling. He genuinely liked the Aussie, especially since David had paid over $15 000 for the other nights shing ding.  
  
"I'll let you know. In fact I'd like ask a favor. Can I grab Xander so we can have a boy's night out on the town? I mean it seams pretty quiet tonight." David said.  
  
"Sure thing. You guys have fun." Jack said. Xander bolted out the back to grab his jacket. As Xander headed out the door, David rolled off a hundred dollar bill and slapped it on the bar. Jack looked at it stunned, them he smiled.  
  
"You two be careful out there, it isn't exactly safe." Jack said.  
  
"No worries, mate. She'll be right." David said as he walked out the door.  
  
"Why am I out here hunting vamps with you?" Xander asked, regretting his earlier decision.  
  
"Because you love it." David replied. The two had their stakes ready as they slowly walked down a back street. Xander stopped.  
  
"What is it?" David whispered. Xander just pointed. There were two vamps rounding the corner and walking toward them. David smiled. "Showtime." He said.  
  
The vamps charged them.  
  
One attacked Xander while the other took on David. David sent his vamp flying with kick to the chest. The vamp got up but crumbled to dust as David threw his stake into the vamps heart.  
  
Xander on the other hand was not going so well. He had dropped his stake in the fight and was just keeping the vamp from snacking on him. David saw Xander in trouble. * Note to self. Always carry more than one stake. *  
  
David grabbed the vamp and threw it down the street.  
  
"You OK? Where's your stake?" David asked.  
  
"I don't know, I lost it in the fight." Xander replied. The other vamp had picked it self up and started run away.  
  
"Come on, it's getting away!" David implored. Xander started out to catch the vamp when he stepped on his stake lying on the ground. His feet went from beneath him and he landed on his butt.  
  
"What the..? Hey, cool! You found your stake. Come on let get him!" David said picking up the stake and nearly dragged Xander down the street after the vamp. The vamp turned down an alley.  
  
They entered the alley and were amazed that the vamp had disappeared. Walking further down the alley there was no sign of their prey.  
  
"Maybe he ran out the back of the alley." Xander suggested.  
  
"Nope. Dead end." David told him.  
  
"It sure is." A voice said behind them. David and Xander spun around at the voice. Standing in the entrance of the alley were 6 or 8 vampires, including the one that they were chasing. David recognized another face.  
  
"Oh shit." David groaned.  
  
"You!" The vamp said. It was the mugger that attacked David the other night. The situation was bleak for Xander and David. The two of them had one stake and they faced a whole bunch of vamps.  
  
"Do you know how to use one of these?" David said to Xander as he pulled out two objects from his over coat and handed one to Xander. It was a handgun.  
  
"What? Are you nuts? Stakes, sunlight, fire, beheading kill vampires! Not bullets! You'll just piss them off!" Xander near screamed.  
  
"Just let them have it when I tell you to. Alright?" David said, raking the action of his weapon. Reluctantly Xander did the same. He wondered if he should save a bullet for himself before the vamps turned him or should he save two bullets. The first one for David for getting them killed.  
  
"Foolish human. Your toys cannot hurt us." A vamp told the two.  
  
David smiled a positively evil smile. "You know what I have always wanted to say in situations like this?" David asked.  
  
"What?" Xander replied.  
  
"The path of the righteous man is beset on all sides by..." David started.  
  
Xander could not believe it. They were about to die and David goes all 'Pulp Fiction' on him. Xander jumped at the sound of a shot being fired.  
  
The vamp looked at the hole where the bullet had entered.  
  
"Didn't work." The vamp said.  
  
"Guess again, knob jockey." David replied as fire flared from the wound and quickly consumed the vamp. Everyone stood in shock.  
  
"KILL 'EM! KILL 'EM ALL!" David shouted to Xander as he opened fire on the other vamps. Seconds later, the sound of gunfire died, leaving Xander and David with small piles of smoking vamp dust.  
  
"Holy shit! What the fuck did we hit them with!?" Xander yelled at David.  
  
"I call them Match Head rounds. I've been experimenting with them for a while. A little white phosphorous, some titanium, and a dash of sodium. They burn at about 3000 degrees C. Works pretty good on vamps, I say."  
  
Xander was silent for a moment. Then a thought from his soldier boy time at Halloween kicked in.  
  
"Aren't bullets like that banned by the Geneva Convention?" Xander asked. David looked at him like he was an A grade moron.  
  
"Xander, I pretty certain that the Geneva Convention doesn't apply to vampires and demons. Don't you think?"  
  
"Oh, right. Well, good. We wouldn't want to violate their human rights now, would we?" Xander joked, feeling like an A grade moron, as the two of them headed back to Xander's car.  
  
Chapter 9  
  
Buffy lazily ran her fingers over the pale skin of Willow's stomach as the two lay together after their lovemaking. Both were lost in thought and they were both thinking the same thing.  
  
*There is something really important that is missing here.*  
  
"Buff, can I tell you something? Something really important without you freaking?"  
  
"Uh, sure Will. What?"  
  
"I, um, I really love being with you. I mean you are the world to me and, well, I love you. I feel so comfortable with you and you make me feel so alive, but..."  
  
"But what? What's wrong?" Buffy asked with some fear.  
  
"But I have this feeling. Something is missing. Something inside of me. It's like a jig saw puzzle with a piece missing." Willow told her lover. She saw the look come over her Slayer's face.  
  
"Buffy, please don't be upset! I'm just trying to explain how I feel..." Buffy cut her babble off.  
  
"No! No! I'm not mad Will. I know what you mean. I feel it too. There is a hole, somewhere deep inside, where something should be. Like, without it, you can't be complete or happy; really happy."  
  
"Yeah." Willow said. She paused. "What? You feel it too?" she asked, somewhat shocked. Buffy nodded. There was an uncomfortable silence between them. Buffy decided to change the subject.  
  
"You got any idea how much I hate that fucking David? He comes here like some kind of commando Crocodile Dundee and starts messing things up just when it starts to get better. I've had enough of soldier types fucking my life around." Buffy spouted.  
  
"Xander and David seem to get along well enough." Willow said.  
  
"Don't get me started on Xander. Try hard loser." Buffy grumbled. Willow's kiss silenced her anger and the two melted into each other's arms.  
  
********  
  
Giles watched as David trained Xander in hand-to-hand combat. Almost two months had passed since David arrived. Seeing the two joke and fool around as they trained he felt happy that David and Xander had become almost like brothers. David, his flesh and blood son. Xander, the boy who had become like a son to Giles. He still had not told Buffy, Willow and Xander about David being his son. Buffy and Willow's dislike for David meant that they would not accept him.  
  
Giles had become concerned about Xander. His friendship with David had broken the already strained friendship with Buffy and Willow. Although Xander tried not to show it, there were times that the pain of losing the friendship came to the surface. Xander locked his emotions away and that was not good. Like a pressure cooker, it would build and build until it exploded.  
  
"Good. I think we'll call it quits for now." David said when he saw Giles. Giles had stayed overnight going through David's library and this morning David would drop Giles home and pick up some of the Watchers Diaries.  
  
"I'll be with you in a sec." David said to Giles. He turned to Xander.  
  
"When I get back we can go down to the armory and do some target practice."  
  
"Cool." Xander said. "Hey, you know that black shirt you borrowed? Can I have it back 'cause I'm planning on wearing it to the Bronze tonight."  
  
"OK. Why you going to the Bronze?" David asked.  
  
"Well, with all this training you've been making me do lately I'm all buffed up. Women won't be able to resist me." Xander told him with a laugh.  
  
"Yeah, sure. It's in my wardrobe, you can grab it while I'm gone, but it ain't going to do you any good."  
  
"Why?" Xander asked.  
  
"Mate, you couldn't get laid in a whore house with a fist full of fifties." David joked. They had a good laugh and David and Giles left.  
  
Xander had a quick shower and wandered up to David's room to get the shirt. He opened the wardrobe and had a look. He noticed a uniform hanging up. It was dark green with gold buttons. On the epaulette was a gold crown and below that was the letters SASR also in gold. At the top of the sleeve was the word AUSTRALIA and below that as a winged parachute.  
  
Two things that struck Xander were the medals. The first was how few David had. Having seen the movies where the soldiers had a chest full of medals, the four that hung there seemed strange.  
  
The second thing was one medal in particular. It had a blood red ribbon with a bronze cross. In the center was a lion with the words 'For Valour' beneath the lion.  
  
"You found your shirt yet?" David said, startling Xander. Xander spun round.  
  
"Dude! Scare me to death why don't ya. I was just looking at your uniform."  
  
"Oh, OK." David said.  
  
"Hey, I got a couple of questions though about it." Xander said.  
  
"Like what?" David asked.  
  
"First off, how come you have only four medals? I mean all the army guys I've seen have heaps."  
  
"We run medals like the English do. You have to have been in combat to get medals, not like the US were you also get them for passing courses." David informed him.  
  
"OK then, what about this one?" Xander asked pointing at the medal with the red ribbon. David looked uncomfortable.  
  
"It's the Victoria Cross. Look could you just grab your shirt." David grumped. Deflated, Xander found his shirt.  
  
"Look I'm sorry that I snapped at you. It's just that I got that medal during the war in East Timor. I lost a lot of close friends and it wasn't real nice and I don't like to talk about what happened too much."  
  
"I'm sorry too. I should just mind my own business."  
  
"Don't worry about it mate. Anyway, Giles wants you to go to his place for a chat tomorrow morning." informed David.  
  
"What's it about?" asked Xander.  
  
"Don't know. You can tell me tomorrow after I get back from the Initiative."  
  
"What's going on there?"  
  
"I've got to go over some of the electronic detectors they use with that boof head Riley Finn. I'll be glad when I don't have to see him any more. Anyway let's go and shoot some targets." David said as he headed for the door. 


	4. Terra ten to twelve

Chapter 10  
  
The next morning Xander sat on Giles' sofa as Giles fixed some tea. "So what's the deal, G Man?" asked Xander.  
  
"I'm worried about things between you, Buffy and Willow." Giles said sitting down across from Xander. Xander for his part looked uncomfortable with the subject.  
  
"Look, Buffy and Willow have gone off to college and that normally puts a bit of strain on friendships. But it's no real big, Giles." Xander said.  
  
"Xander, I've noticed how this has effected you. Just because David, Buffy and Willow don't get along doesn't mean that things between you and the girls needs to be bad as well."  
  
"Giles, things were bad before David showed up. Even in high school they saw me as more of hindrance than a help. Then they went to college and I didn't and they decided that they didn't need a loser like me any more."  
  
"You are not a loser and they do need you. Together you three are a powerful force for good. Things are bad now but they don't need to be. Please go and talk to them. Explain how you feel and you'll find that they still need you." Giles told the young man.  
  
"Maybe." Xander mumbled.  
  
"No, you will go right now and talk to them this instant!" Giles barked. A little reluctantly Xander got up and left.  
  
Xander knocked on the door at Buffy and Willow's dorm. After he got no answer, he wandered down to the common room where he saw the two girls sitting with their backs to him talking. They were alone in the common room and hadn't noticed Xander enter. He stopped to listen in on their conversation.  
  
"I saw David the other night at the pub. He had one of Xander's shirts on, can you believe it?" Buffy asked.  
  
"God! Not only is David a loser, he wears another losers' shirt as well." Willow chimed. Xander paled.  
  
"Between GI Joe try hard David and Xander, King of Losers it's enough to make a woman vomit." Buffy told her lover.  
  
"I know, it's hard to believe that I actually loved Xander once. Thank heavens I came to my senses." Willow said rolling her eyes. Buffy smiled seductively at Willow.  
  
"Anyway, less looser talk, more kissing!" Buffy said.  
  
Xander watched as Willow and Buffy started kissing and running their hands over each others body. He backed out of the room then ran.  
  
Pain. He felt nothing but pain as he ran. His soul, his heart had been shattered, burnt and crushed. The two people he loved most, the two people he would die to protect had just destroyed him. All the pain he had kept hidden, years of pain of all that had ever hurt him now ran through his veins; the feeling was like fire.  
  
*No more.* He thought as he entered David's place. David was still at the Initiative. He ran down to the armory.  
  
*It ends now. No more pain.*  
  
He tried to open the armory door but was so worked up that he couldn't enter in the code. He looked around and saw an extension cord on the workbench. Xander fashioned a crude noose and fastened it to the overhead beam. Standing on the stool he placed the noose over his head and kicked the stool over. He dropped a few inches and the cord tightened.  
  
"WHAT THE FUCK!!!!" David yelled. David lifted Xander up and struggled him out of the noose. Xander was fighting him, balling his eyes out.  
  
"Let me die! Just let me die!" cried Xander as he curled up in a ball on the floor. David picked him up and took him to the lounge room and put him on the sofa. Xander began thrashing about and screaming. David kept him on the sofa with one hand while he dialed the phone with another.  
  
"Hello?" Giles said picking up the phone. He could hear the screaming in the background.  
  
"Dad! It's me! Come to my place right now! Xander tried to kill himself!" David heard the phone being slammed as Giles bolted for the door.  
  
"What happened?" Giles asked as he entered the lounge room. Xander was still thrashing about and moaning.  
  
"I don't know. I came home to find him hanging himself. He's been like this since I got him down. What could have caused this?"  
  
Giles felt sick.  
  
"I told him to go and talk to Buffy and Willow about their friendship" Giles wanted to die.  
  
"Something bad must have happened to the girls and Xander must have found them." Giles said feeling dead inside.  
  
"Xander! What happened? Tell us what happened!" David said shaking the boy. Xander kept thrashing and moaning.  
  
"It's no use, he can't tell us anything." David told his father.  
  
"We need to know what happened!" Giles insisted. David ran a hand through his hair in frustration.  
  
"There is some magic I can use to find out. It opens a link between his mind and mine. It will also have the effect of draining most of that emotion from him," informed David.  
  
"Is it safe?" Giles asked. He didn't want to lose both of them as well.  
  
"For him, yes. For me, well, it's worth the risk." David said.  
  
He closed his eyes and placed his hand on Xander's head. Instantly David was assailed by pain. Xander's pain. He saw the reason for his pain, all the hurt Xander had ever suffered. He years of abuse from his father, the loss of friends. The betrayal from Buffy and Willow. Xander loved them more than life itself and they had destroyed him. Xander was strong but they were so close to his heart and soul that what they had done had destroyed him. David screamed and pulled his hand away.  
  
"What." Giles started to say but David cut him off.  
  
"Bitches! Buffy and Willow are alive!" David yelled. He got up and went to the armory. Xander was peaceful and sleeping now. David returned with two pistols and his shoulder holster.  
  
"What are you doing?" Giles asked his son. David put on the holster and started to check his guns.  
  
"They did this to him! Those fucking bitches did this to him!" yelled David as he holstered the weapons and put on a coat.  
  
"Who did this? Where are you going?"  
  
"Buffy and Willow did this to him, Dad! I've fucking had it with those two fucking bitches. Now they are going to pay." David said in a cold hard murderous voice.  
  
He was gone before Giles could stop him.  
  
Chapter 11  
  
A naked Buffy laid down next to a naked Willow. She marveled at the witch's perfect skin and ran her fingers through her red hair. They kissed, and as they did so, Buffy knew that this was going to be the best sex of her entire life. Buffy rolled over and pinned Willow down beneath. Buffy laid a trail of kisses down Willow's stomach.  
  
SMASH!  
  
The door flew open to reveal David. It was instantly clear that he was pissed off to epic proportions. He entered the room.  
  
"YOU FUCKING BITCHES!!" David roared.  
  
Buffy for her part was mega pissed at David for bursting in like this and ruining the moment between her and Willow. She leapt up and attacked David.  
  
She kicked him in the head twice and let rip with a good half dozen punches for good measure. However it was no good as David, furious and with magic flowing through his veins, just took the pounding and smiled. He unleashed a hail of punches and ended with a roundhouse kick to the head that sent Buffy flying.  
  
Willow watched as David pounded on her lover. Her anger boiling, Willow summoned up her magic and sent the TV flying at David's head. David's head snapped round as the TV approached it. He held out his hand as if he was stopping traffic. The TV stopped in mid air. He closed his hand and the TV imploded as if a giant hand had crushed it. A flick of his wrist sent an invisible force slamming into Willow, sending her crashing into the wall beside Buffy, who was now up.  
  
Buffy launched herself at David, still a little stunned but even angrier than before. She went to axe kick him. David blocked the kick and punched Buffy in the groin. Pain exploded in her, she doubled over and held herself. David grabbed her head and kneed her in the face. Then, still holding her head, he head butted her and threw her at Willow.  
  
"This ends now!" He told the two girls who were laying on the floor. He knelt down and placed a hand on each of their heads. He closed his eyes and opened the lock he had on the pain he had absorbed from Xander.  
  
Pain. All the world was pain. The beating Buffy took was mere physical pain. This was an assault on the heart and soul. Images of Buffy and Willow flowed through their minds. The pain, the soul-destroying pain inflicted on Xander crashed over Buffy and Willow like giant waves at the beach. All the feelings Xander had ever kept bottled up now made the girls howl like tormented demons.  
  
As he channeled Xander's pain into Buffy and Willow, David became aware of something being fed back to him from the two girls. It was a tone, a musical note. Clear, pure, heavenly. Powerful. He stopped channeling.  
  
Looking at Buffy and Willow curled up and tormented with grief, David felt a little sorry for them. His anger gone, he wondered at the tone he had heard. He left the room, closing the door as best he could before heading to Xander's place. He was going to move Xander's stuff into a room at his place. To start the healing process, Xander needed to get out of his parents basement.  
  
Chapter 12  
  
David entered the room where Xander and Giles was. Giles sat in a chair opposite the unconscious Xander, pretending to read a book. Giles was worried. He was worried about Xander, he worried about David. He worried about Buffy and Willow. Their strange behavior towards Xander coupled with the fact that David had stormed out of here brandishing guns and swearing revenge, only deepened the worry lines on his face. He heard movement behind him.  
  
"Hi Dad." David said, somewhat glumly.  
  
"David! You didn't..." Giles started but David cut him off.  
  
"They are OK, at the moment they are probably half way through uncontrollable crying and heading for a serious grief talk." David assured his father.  
  
"What did you do?" Giles asked.  
  
"There was a little punch up between me and Buffy and I made them feel some of the pain that I absorbed from Xander." he looked down at Xander. "Still no change?"  
  
Giles looked at Xander as well. He shook his head.  
  
"OK. Xander is probably going to be out of it for a few hours yet which will give me time to move the rest of his stuff into one of the rooms. He has to get out of that dank little place he's in at the moment." informed David.  
  
"What do you want me to do?" Giles asked.  
  
"I need you to determine if Buffy and Willow are under some sort of spell. Their behavior towards Xander just doesn't add up. If they are then you need to find out what kind of spell, who cast it, and how to reverse it. The girls will be around later tonight, I'd expect, so this has to be ready by then, OK?"  
  
"I'll need to get my books." Giles informed David. David smiled.  
  
"OK, get them while I unload the jeep. I've also got some books that may be of some use as well in the library." David put his hand on Giles' shoulder.  
  
"Thanks Dad." he said. Giles returned the smile, happy that David felt comfortable with him being his father. Things between him and David were OK. Now Giles needed to make things between his other children better as well. To this end Giles left to gather the books and other supplies that he might need.  
  
Willow and Buffy entered David's place, uneasy at the possible reception they would get from Xander. However their need to see Xander to make sure he was OK overcame their unease. A small voice inside of them told them that they would be happier without Xander, that he was the root of all their unhappiness. That voice was ignored for the time being.  
  
They saw Giles come down the stairs and they headed to him.  
  
"Where's Xander?" Willow asked.  
  
"Before you see him, I need to check some things. Please follow me." Giles said. Buffy grabbed him by the arm. "Where is Xander?" Buffy insisted. Giles gave her a cold, hard look.  
  
"Follow me." he said in a voice that brokered no argument. They followed him.  
  
They entered a room. It was lit by candles and had a symbol painted on the floor.  
  
"What's this?" Buffy asked suspiciously as she saw the room. David's voice came from behind them.  
  
"Before you see Xander, we need to check if you two are under some sort of spell. If you are then it needs breaking." David said. Buffy spun around, glaring at David.  
  
"What the hell are you up to?" she hissed at him.  
  
"I think you two are under some sort of spell and it needs to be broken." David told her.  
  
"If you think for one moment that I'm going to let you use your magic on us then..." David cut Buffy off mid sentence.  
  
"This is not Aboriginal magic, it's book magic. Besides Giles here will be doing it, not me. So you have a choice, you can voluntarily under go this or be knocked unconscious. Either way it's going to be done." David said in a low dangerous voice. Reluctantly Buffy agreed.  
  
"We aren't under any spell." Willow told Giles as they were moved to the center of the symbol.  
  
"Willow, if some one with powerful magic put a spell on you then you would have no way of knowing it was done, you know that as well as I do." Giles said. He picked up a book and began to recite the spell.  
  
"Mare per delectanto destrani folevum paxus tentabo summum." Giles sprinkled a red dust over the two girls. A dark blue light shimmered as the dust settled on the pair.  
  
"Well?" David asked Giles.  
  
"They are definitely under a hate spell. I can't find out who did this, but who ever they are they are very powerful." Giles informed David.  
  
"Hate spell?" Willow asked, horrified at the thought.  
  
"Yes, it intensifies any negative feelings about a person that you may have to a point where the closest of friends can become sworn enemies. Who ever cast this wanted you two to turn on Xander," said Giles.  
  
"Why?" asked Buffy. Giles just shrugged his shoulders and picked up a book and started to search through it.  
  
"Can you reverse it?" Willow asked. The though that some one had made her turn on her oldest friend chilled her to the bone. Giles found the spell he was looking for.  
  
"Yes, I think Izard's Reversal spell would do the trick." Giles said. He began to chant and held forth a white crystal. Buffy and Willow's eyes flashed first black, then white, then returned to normal. Willow burst into tears.  
  
"Where's Xander?" she sobbed.  
  
"Up stairs and the second door to your left." David told them. The two girls raced up the stairs and charged into Xander's room. Soon the three of them were hugging and crying. Giles stood in the doorway and watched. They had a new and powerful enemy. But for now he smiled as his family, the Scooby Gang, were back together again. 


	5. Terra thirteen to fifteen

Chapter 13  
  
It was a sight for sore eyes, Giles thought to himself. Buffy and Willow, freed of the spell that turned them against Xander, where making up for lost time. They joked with him, watched TV with him, and generally smothered him with lots of hugs. Xander, for his part, had responded well to the attention, even cracking a joke or two. But every now and then, Xander would retreat back into himself. It was a clear sign that he would need more than a few hours to recover the damage done to him.  
  
"Doesn't it just make you want to vomit." Spike said as he entered the room.  
  
"One more comment from you Spike and you'll have a date with the dust buster." Buffy shot back. Spike just shrugged. He knew she wouldn't do it.  
  
"So, someone is out to get you lot." Spike said upbeatly. "I like them already."  
  
"We need to find out who cast that spell." Giles said, removing his glasses and cleaning them.  
  
"We need to find them and kick their ass." Buffy said with some vehemence.  
  
"OK, we don't know who or what did this. But do we know why they did it? Why turn Buffy and Willow against Xander? What purpose does it serve? What is there to gain?" David pondered. Blank looks from Giles, Willow and Buffy. A shrug from Xander and a look of amazement from Spike.  
  
"Bloody hell! You lot are stupid. Who ever it was wanted to break up the Scooby Gang. Without them, Goldie Locks here would be dead in no time. You want to kill her, separate her from her friends first. Probably would have later made Red and Goldie Locks have a lovers tiff." Spike said. "I only wish I had thought of it before I got this bloody chip."  
  
Giles took a moment for the information to sink in. Spike was right. Someone was out to get Buffy. Then the rest of what Spike said registered.  
  
"A lovers WHAT? Bloody Hell!" Giles exclaimed.  
  
"Yes, Buffy and Willow are lovers, welcome to the 21st century, blah, blah, blah. Can we get back to the matter at hand?" David told his father. Out of the corner of his eye David saw the momentary look that crossed Xander face when he said that. Not good.  
  
"How did you know?" Willow asked, shocked that Spike was privy to such personal information.  
  
"It's all over town. Some demon saw you two snogging and now it's the talk of Sunnydale's demon population." Spike laughed. "You should see the expression on your face, Red. Priceless."  
  
The look that Buffy gave Spike made him doubt his belief that she wouldn't slay him.  
  
"Look, I don't give a fuck what Buffy and Willow get up to together. There is a big evil out there with the Scooby Gang in its sights. We need to find out more information." David said, a little frustrated at the diversion.  
  
"Sounds like a research party in the making." Xander suggested.  
  
"Research party?" David asked, puzzled.  
  
"Yeah. We crack out the books, look up the evil and eat donuts." Xander smiled, thinking of the good times in the library. David looked at Xander funny.  
  
"You guys need a life." he said.  
  
"Yes, we should try to research who or what did this. But I'm afraid that we don't have much to go on." Giles informed the group.  
  
"Start the research, I've got an idea on how to get more info on this." David looked at his watch. "Shit. I've got a meeting with Huckleberry Hound in 20 minutes." said David.  
  
"Huckleberry Hound?" asked Buffy.  
  
"Riley Finn." David informed her. When she gave him a confused look, he continued.  
  
"When I read the briefing papers before I came, I saw that the liaison guy was Riley Finn from Iowa. With the name Finn and coming from Iowa, I naturally called him Huckleberry Finn. Then when I saw his soldiering ability, I feel that Huckleberry Hound is more appropriate." Xander had a good chuckle at that.  
  
"Before you go David." Buffy said, walking over to David. "We owe you for helping get things normal again."  
  
"No worries. Only glad I could help my friend." dismissed David.  
  
"No. I really owe you and I'd like to repay you." Buffy said. Before anyone could blink, Buffy's knee crashed into David's testicles, causing him to collapse in a heap. Giles, Spike and Xander all winced in sympathy pain at the blow. Buffy smiled sweetly.  
  
"Now we're even." she said brightly.  
  
It was 10 minutes before David had recovered enough to leave for his meeting.  
  
Chapter 14  
  
The gang started to research possible suspects who had the power to cast the hate spell. They had little to go on, however they could rule out the normal run of the mill demons. They lacked the magic or the smarts for such a spell. Buffy, for her part, decided to go for the donuts and the packet of twinkies Xander had requested. She had just left when David came running in.  
  
"Wow. That was a quick meeting." Xander observed.  
  
"Well, meetings tend to be short when one side is dead." David deadpanned.  
  
"What?" Giles said, not quite getting what David was driving at.  
  
"Riley and the Initiative are dead." David said slowly.  
  
"What? How? Who?" Willow babbled, stunned at the news.  
  
"All very good questions. Whatever it was, it was definitely not a vampire. Vampires like to drink their victim's blood. Whatever this was liked to paint the room with it. Also whatever it was, it ain't no ordinary demon. The bodies of the soldiers, well what was left of them, had guns and there was probably a thousand empty cartridges laying around. Whatever it was took nearly a thousand rounds and still felt healthy enough to tear every living thing in the complex apart." David said, the images of the bodies of soldiers, scientists, and captured demons ripped apart like roast chickens still fresh in his mind.  
  
"We need to warn Buffy." Willow said anxiously. David looked around.  
  
"Where is she?" he asked.  
  
"On a doughnut run." Xander told him.  
  
"Well she should be OK until she gets back. Hopefully she won't be too long." David paused for a second to gather his thoughts. Time to take charge. "OK, we know how this thing operates, that should give us an idea on what to look for." David said.  
  
"Could what ever killed the Initiative be the same thing that cast the hate spell?" Willow said, afraid for Buffy's life.  
  
"Probably not." Giles informed her. "From the description of the brutality and viciousness of the attack, it indicates that what ever we are dealing with is savage, physically powerful, a killing machine of sorts. That usually precludes any real powerful spell casting ability. But I suppose we should be prudent and keep an open mind on the matter."  
  
"Right." nodded David. He turned to Xander. "I left a big black leather book in the games room, could you grab it for me?" he asked Xander.  
  
Xander nodded and left.  
  
"Another good book to start with is Nathanyals Index." David said. They moved to the shelves that were stacked with books.  
  
"Um, sorry to interrupt guys, but I've got a question." Xander said coming in.  
  
"Sure, shoot." David said.  
  
"Could the demon that killed the Initiative be about 7 foot tall, red leathery skin, look like the creature out of 'Predator'?" Xander asked.  
  
David looked up at Xander slowly.  
  
"Possibly. Why?" he asked suspiciously.  
  
"Oh, nothing. Just that it's in your flower garden out back." Xander said idly.  
  
"WHAT?" David shouted as he raced to the back windows.  
  
There, in the garden, stood a demon. Man shaped, with long, powerful arms and red leathery skin covering its' lean muscled body. Claws protruded from its hands; its face was similar to the creature from the movie 'Predator', with a mass of teeth and yellow eyes. In those eyes burned such great evil and insanity that made everyone shudder in fright.  
  
"Oh shit. It's a Jachyra," said David, fear making his voice wavier.  
  
Chapter 15  
  
David turned to Xander, fear large in both their eyes.  
  
"Armory. Match Head rounds. 13-19-01. Go! Now!" said David. Xander dashed off in the direction of the armory. David then turned to Willow. "You know any attack spells? You know, fire, lightning, blow the big ugly monster to bits kind?" he asked her.  
  
"Yes, but I need to get the right ingredients and look in the right books." she informed him.  
  
"No time." David told her. He finally looked at Giles.  
  
"OK. If this thing gets past me, you need to get out of here. You, Xander, and Willow need to find Buffy. Then drive to March Air Force Base. When you get there..." Giles interrupted David.  
  
"You're not going to fight this..." Giles began.  
  
"DAD! Shut the fuck up and listen! When you get to the main gate, tell the guards the code word is 'Jericho'. The air movements officer will arrive and tell him the code word is 'Cotton Tail'. They will then fly you to Amberley Air Force Base in Australia. Once there, call Albert and he will take care of things after that." Giles nodded reluctantly. Xander returned with a shotgun in one hand and an uzi in the other. David took the uzi.  
  
"Protect them." David said indicating to Giles and Willow. "Dad will fill you in on the rest."  
  
"Dad?" Xander asked puzzled, but David had walked out into the garden.  
  
The Jachyra looked at David as he strolled out into the garden. It gave a hideous, demented howl of near delight. It was the kind of sound that made people's blood run cold. David was no exception. David cocked the weapon then opened fire on the Jachyra, empting the entire clip. The Jachyra became a brilliant pillar of fire, howling and rolling on the grass. The fires died out. To David's horror the Jachyra, horribly burnt and smoking, leapt to its feet. It let loose a howl of pain and delight then kicked David through the glass windows of the gym/training room where Willow, Giles and Xander stood. David slid across the floor and laid unmoving. The Jachyra jumped into the room.  
  
"HEY!" a voice yelled. It was Buffy with Spike beside her. Buffy took a flying leap at the Jachyra, kicking it in the head. The Jachyra merely shrugged off the blow and backhanded Buffy, sending her flying into the wall, dazed and unable to move. The Jachyra advanced toward Buffy.  
  
Xander swore in frustration. Match head rounds didn't work on this creature and he couldn't take the shot at it for fear of hitting Buffy. A growl and a blonde blur signaled Spike's attack.  
  
The blonde vampire tackled the Jachyra with a tackle that would have made a rugby coach proud. Spike sat on top of the Jachyra and began to punch it.  
  
"NOBODY!" Punch!  
  
"KILLS!" Punch!  
  
"MY!" Punch!  
  
"FRIENDS!" The Jachyra caught Spike's arm and, to the horror of everybody, ripped it off and struck Spike in the head with the arm. Spike lay unconscious on the floor. The Jachyra got up and began to move towards Buffy again. Before it could reach her, a set of hands grabbed the Jachyra around the head. David.  
  
Blue-white spirit fire burst from his hands, enveloping its head. The Jachyra gave a howl of pain before the spirit fire exploded down its body and reduced it to ashes. David fell to the ground, his energy gone and unable to stand. Giles, Willow, and Xander rushed over. Giles went to David.  
  
"Are you alright?" Giles asked his son.  
  
"Yeah, I'll be OK. Spirit Fire uses a lot of magic and strength. I just need to rest for a bit. Go help Buffy and Spike," mumbled David. The last thing he saw before he passed out was Willow helping Buffy stand and Giles and Xander tending to Spike's wounds.  
  
David awoke a little over an hour later. He was laying in his bed and Giles sat in a chair beside him. Seeing that he was awake Giles came over to David.  
  
"How do you feel?" he asked. David smiled.  
  
"Like I got kicked through a window. How's Buffy and Spike?" asked David.  
  
"Other than a bump to the head and a few bruises, she'll be fine. Spike, well, we bandaged his stump and have given him some painkillers. We will keep a good supply of blood to him and hope his vampire healing abilities will be able to handle it." Giles and David looked up when Buffy, Willow and Xander entered the room.  
  
"Hey Buffy. I like the bump." David said, indicating to the big lump on her forehead.  
  
"Well, normally I leave the getting bumped on the head thing to your father." she said as she came to stand beside Giles.  
  
"I guess you want an explanation." David said, referring to the fact that Giles was his father.  
  
"No need. I explained it to them." Giles informed his son.  
  
"And? How they take it?" asked David. Buffy answered for Giles.  
  
"I'm too busy wigging out about that red demon. Once I'm done with that, then I'll start wigging out about you and Giles." Buffy grew silent for a moment. "That thing, was it the thing that cast that spell on me and Willow?" she asked.  
  
"No. The Jachyra is a killing demon. I'm pretty sure it was the Jachyra that killed the Initiative. It is a creature of great magic in the fact that it takes great magic to bring into this world. I guess only magic could kill it. So, no. But whoever or whatever raised the Jachyra is probably the same person that cast the spell. Tonight we are going to find out who or what did this." David said.  
  
"We?" Willow asked.  
  
"Yes. Tonight Xander and I are going to talk to the Dreamtime Spirits." said David. 


	6. Terra sixteen to eighteen

Chapter 16  
  
Xander looked at David.  
  
"What do you mean 'we'? Why am I coming with you?" Xander said.  
  
"I need another person to be there in order to do this. I can't contact the Dreamtime Spirits by myself." informed David.  
  
"Ok, but why me?" asked Xander.  
  
"I can't take Willow or Buffy for reasons that will be clear when you come with me tonight. I also want to give you the chance to find out your purpose in life. I want you to talk to the Dreamtime Spirits and maybe they can give you some idea of a direction in your life. I really think that it would do you a world of good." David told him.  
  
Xander began to object but stopped. *Maybe he's right. I guess a sense of purpose would be nice. I got nothing to lose.* Xander thought.  
  
"Is it dangerous?" Willow asked David, afraid for Xander's safety.  
  
"Dangerous? Willow, I've saved my best friend from death, had an out and out fight with a witch and her Slayer lover, helped reverse a destructive spell, and killed an evil demon who killed dozens of heavily armed soldiers and kicked me through a window. On the scale of things, this is the least dangerous thing I'll do all week." smiled David.  
  
"Can I talk to Xander alone please?" David asked the gang. They all got up and left, leaving Xander and David alone.  
  
"What do you want to talk about?" Xander inquired.  
  
"Do you believe in fate and destiny?" David asked.  
  
"Hello. Best friends with the Slayer, you know, 'The Chosen One'?"  
  
"OK. Stupid question." David said with a smile. "You want to hear my views on fate and destiny?"  
  
"Yeah, sure. Go ahead.  
  
"I think life is kind of like a big city and your own life is like driving through it. You have free choice generally to go in almost any direction you choose. Left, right, straight ahead, whatever. The roads you choose are up to you. Sometimes the choices you make lead you into situations where you have no choice. Like being in the right hand lane and the sign says 'right hand lane must turn right'. Then you have fate. It's kind of like being at a certain place at a certain time, no matter what you do or where you go. How you react to fate largely determines your destiny. Destiny is just that; the destination. The end of your journey. No one knows their destiny."  
  
"Then sometimes you have a legacy. A legacy is kind of like someone coming to their destiny and leaving you rough directions on how to finish the rest of the journey. It influences people that come after you. When you see the Dreamtime Spirits, remember that they can give you guidance, sometimes tell you of fate, but never of destiny. Fate is not the same as destiny.  
  
"All right then. When do we go see the Dreamtime Spirits?" Xander asked.  
  
"We'll leave at 11 tonight. There is a place a couple of miles out of town that would be perfect."  
  
There was a moment of silence.  
  
"Xander?"  
  
"Yeah David?"  
  
"Whatever is attacking you guys is my fate. I can feel it." David's voice grew small and distant. "I've also got the feeling that it is also my destiny." whispered David.  
  
Chapter 17  
  
Xander and David left just after 11 that night. David had cooked up a Thai Curry Chicken that the gang had wolfed down. Giles had convinced everyone that it would be best if everyone stayed at David's tonight.  
  
Whatever was after them saw that together the Scooby Gang was a danger so it would be safest if they stayed together as much as possible. He also suggested that Buffy and Willow get some sleep because when David and Xander returned there would be an all night research session. Buffy didn't object. She was asleep seconds after her head hit the pillow.  
  
David drove into the hills behind Sunnydale and turned up a dirt track. Xander dozed as David followed the track as it led through a plantation of tall trees. The jeep hit a bump in the road, waking Xander. He looked around as they drove past the ghostly white trees.  
  
"Where are we?" asked Xander.  
  
"In a eucalyptus plantation about 10 miles out of town." informed David.  
  
"A what?"  
  
"A eucalyptus tree plantation. Eucalyptus trees are native to Australia. Apparently the hills around here were prone to erosion since the soil was so poor here and pretty much nothing would grow here. However eucalypt trees thrive in poor soil. The down side is that they liked it too much and became a bit of a pest. Then they discovered that the eucalypt has medicinal oil in its leaves and the wood very strong and hard so now they are cutting them for wood and the oil." David told Xander. He stopped the car.  
  
"We walk from here."  
  
They got out and started to walk through the trees. Clearing the trees Xander saw that they were headed for a hill that had been cleared except for a cluster of trees at its summit. David held a bag that contained the necessary things for the ritual. As they neared the summit Xander's curiosity got the better of him.  
  
"OK, what am I supposed to do that Buffy or Willow couldn't?"  
  
"It's not a matter of couldn't, it's a matter of wouldn't. You'll find out." David grinned as the reached a small clearing in the trees at the top of the hill. He put the bag down and started to clear a patch of earth. "We need some wood for a fire, after we get it lit then I'll explain what's going on." said David. The pair gathered wood and David arranged it in the clear patch of earth.  
  
"You going to light it using fire sticks?" Xander asked, remembering a thing he learnt in his brief stint as a Boy Scout.  
  
David just looked at him like Xander had said 'this cheese will not protect you'.  
  
"No. This is the 21st Century. I use my lighter." David said as he pulled out a battered Zippo lighter and started the fire. The light it produced made their shadows dance and the smell of the burning wood was sweet and calming.  
  
"So what do you want me to do?" Xander asked.  
  
"I need you to use these clacking sticks." David said as he pulled two wooden sticks that were covered in white paint dots.  
  
"All you need to do is tap them together in a rhythm like this." David demonstrated for Xander.  
  
"Then as you do that I'll perform the ritual and call upon the Dreamtime Spirits to embrace us."  
  
"What will happen then?" Xander asked.  
  
"We will travel to the Dreamtime. Remember that the spirits will appear in a form that you are best able to understand and accept. For example, they appeared as figures from Ancient Greek mythology to the ancient Greeks and as angels to Christians. It's just a matter of what you are comfortable with and can relate to." David told Xander.  
  
"OK, now strip." David said. Xander looked at him in panic.  
  
"What?" Xander said, not quite believing what David said.  
  
"Take your clothes off."  
  
"No way!"  
  
"You have to."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"You must enter the Dreamtime in the same state as you entered this world. Which means you have to be naked. So now you know why Buffy or Willow wouldn't do it. Don't be such a baby." David said.  
  
"But..."  
  
"Oh bloody hell! I'm into women, OK? Trust me you have nothing that I haven't seen elsewhere. Just hurry up and stop fucking around!" David groused.  
  
The two stripped and placed their clothes at opposite ends of the clearing. David turned around and saw Xander.  
  
"Holy Shit!" David cried out and pointed.  
  
"WHAT?" Xander yelled.  
  
"Get a load at it! It looks like a baby's arm holding an apple!"  
  
Xander tried to cover himself. "SHUT THE FUCK UP!" Xander screamed.  
  
"Sorry mate. I just got to ask something. You had sex with Anyanka?"  
  
"Yes!" Xander said, not happy at all.  
  
"I think you got her back for a thousand years of making men suffer." David said with grin.  
  
"Can we just get on with this and stop talking about Little Xander?" asked Xander. David gave him the sticks and they commenced the ritual.  
  
David threw a handful of dirt into the fire then drew pictures in the ground, all the while chanting. He then placed a heap of eucalyptus leaves on the fire, creating a huge amount of sweet smelling smoke.  
  
"Lawurl bohrre-na nardal labld-ndi jut-di dongo-yan dei marluga walbararri. Dongo-yan dalmerilal giyakgiyak gugiwu gawor-ubawo gitjjiya gapbut langitj- gun wordow-ma." (Spirit of the Dreaming, we ask for your wisdom, old man of the Milky Way. Knowing of yesterday, today and tomorrow the truth, man who goes by night bring about the Dreaming.) At that moment there was a flash of white light.  
  
Xander found himself standing next to David. The first thing Xander noticed was that they weren't naked any more. The next was their location. They were standing in a lightly wooded area. Small bushes grew in the red earth and silence gripped the night.  
  
"Where are we?" Xander asked.  
  
"The Dreamtime." David said. He pointed up into the sky. "Look." David told Xander. Xander looked up and gasped.  
  
The sky was awash with stars. Thousands, tens of thousands of stars twinkled above them. Xander remembered the happy times that he and Willow spent out in the backyard. They used to lay on their backs and look at the stars. Willow would tell him the names of the constellations and some of the stories behind them. They would often imagine that they were floating in a sea of stars. They were happy times. Before Buffy. Before vampires. Before the realization.  
  
But something about it was wrong. It was hard to pick out the constellations from all the stars. Then it struck him.  
  
"My God! The stars are upside down!" Xander exclaimed in awe.  
  
"No. They are as how they appeared in Australia tens of thousands of years ago. Come. We are expected." David said and headed towards a campfire in the distance.  
  
They arrived at the fire and there was an old Aboriginal waiting for them. David spoke to him in his native tongue. David nodded and turned to Xander.  
  
"He tells me that they are waiting for you through those wattle bushes." David said, pointing to a stand of bushes, 9 feet high and with beautiful yellow flowers.  
  
"Who's waiting for me?" Xander asked his friend.  
  
"Go and receive your guidance. I will be here finding what is hidden. Go and find your purpose. Go."  
  
Xander left David and the old man and started to make his way through the wattle bushes. He emerged into bright sunlight. He found himself at a waterhole that was ringed by trees and had a waterfall descending from the rock face above the clear water. It was warm and very peaceful and Xander felt more at home than he had ever felt. He looked at the waters edge on the far side and saw them. Three of them. They walked towards him and as they got closer Xander recognized them. Jenny Calendar walked hand in hand with two young girls. One was blonde and the other had red hair. Both looked about 7 or 8 years old. The blonde looked kind of like Buffy, but there was no doubt who the redhead was. Willow. Jenny let the girls go and they ran to Xander, nearly knocking him over and hugging him fiercely.  
  
"Xander!" The two little girls cried out. Dumbfounded Xander looked at them and then hugged them back. Tears poured from his eyes, the happiness of the moment too much. Jenny came up to him.  
  
"Hello Xander." She said. Xander looked at her.  
  
"How...?" he started but words failed him. Jenny bent down and spoke to the girls.  
  
"Buffy, Willow. I need to talk to Xander for a little while. Why don't you two go and play? Maybe you can find Xander a present." With a giggle the two girls ran off to some rocks by the water.  
  
"Miss Calendar, what... I mean how... ur... why?" Xander babbled.  
  
"You want to know of your purpose? What your reason is in life?" she asked him.  
  
"Yes." whispered Xander.  
  
"They are the reason, they are your purpose." Jenny said pointing to Willow and Buffy. Buffy started to chase Willow and Willow started screaming.  
  
"Buffy! Stop chasing Willow around with that frog." Jenny called out to the girls. Buffy put the frog in the water.  
  
"What do you mean?" he asked.  
  
"Look at the girls. What do you feel?" she asked him. He looked at them.  
  
"I love them. I feel like I'm their big brother. They mean everything to me." The two girls came up to Xander.  
  
"We've got something for you." Buffy said. She held up a three-leaf clover. She smiled as he accepted it from her.  
  
"That is what we are, Xander." Buffy told him. Willow held up her hand.  
  
In it was an opal. Black with a rainbow of colours exploding from it as the sun shone on it. Xander accepted it from Willow. "Keep it always. You will need it one day," she told him.  
  
"Thank you. These are the best presents." He told the girls. They giggled and ran off to a log at the other side of the clearing. Jenny took Xander by the arm and led him to a large rock. They sat together.  
  
"You want to know what you are? You are savior, protector, and father. When the time comes, do not doubt yourself. Reach within and bring forth that for which you are. Buffy and Willow have given two gifts. I also will give you two gifts. The first is magic to show the others what is to come." Jenny touched Xander's hand. A white glow moved from her hand to his.  
  
"The second is memory. For a hundred thousand years the Aboriginal people passed down their magic and lore by word of mouth. They never developed writing but needed to preserve their collected knowledge. So they had magic that enabled some of them to remember everything. The perfect memory. The Yhi-ja. This gift was handed down from generation to generation. Like Albert gave this to David, I give this to you." she touched his head.  
  
David opened his eyes. He shook his head to clear the disorientation. He was back at the hilltop. He knew who was behind the spell. He knew what his actions must be. But there was still so much left unanswered. He wandered to his clothes and got dressed. When he turned around he saw Xander lying on the ground. David raced over and checked him.  
  
Xander's eyes were open. And they glowed sky blue.  
  
"The Yhi-ja!" David exclaimed to himself. He gathered up his things and Xander's clothes, then picked up Xander and took him to the jeep.  
  
"Dad! Dad!" David yelled as he entered his house. David took Xander up to Xander's room and put him in the bed. Just as David covered Xander Giles came running in.  
  
"What is it?" he said.  
  
"I need you to look after Xander of a while." David told his Dad.  
  
"What happened?" Giles asked as he saw Xander's eyes. At that moment Buffy and Willow raced into the room.  
  
"What the hell have you done to him?" Buffy demanded to know.  
  
"I didn't do anything! The spirits must have given him the Yhi-ja. It's the ability to remember everything. He'll be out of it for a couple of days." David told them.  
  
"What's wrong with his eyes?" Willow cried out.  
  
"Nothing! Don't worry! I went through it when I was 7. He'll be fine. I just need you to look after him while I'm gone."  
  
"Where are you going?" Buffy demanded again.  
  
"I've got to find a book and arrange a few things," he said to the angry Slayer.  
  
"What about whoever or whatever cast the spell and sent the Jachyra?" Giles asked. David grabbed his father by the arms.  
  
"The demon's name is Murg Dor." David said before leaving.  
  
Chapter 18  
  
David sped into the night. There was much he had to do and little time to do it in. He reached for the car phone and punched in a series of numbers. When the electronic chirp told him that he had an encrypted line, he dialed a number.  
  
The phone that rang was the encrypted line, General Morris noticed as sleepily reached it. The general was a stocky man who lived on base alone. His marriage had failed years ago as the result of the extended absences from home that military service required. He now dedicated his life to the military as a way of protecting his 19-year-old daughter who was attending college in Colorado.  
  
"General Morris." the general said into the phone. "Sir, it's Major McWray, the Australian Army liaison officer to the Initiative. I have an urgent matter I need to inform you of." David told the general.  
  
"What ever it is, it had better be worth waking me for." the general grumbled. He knew Major McWray to be a fine and experienced officer, but that fact didn't make getting woken up in the middle of the night any easier.  
  
"Sir, the Initiative was attacked by a powerful HST sometime this evening. I regret to inform you that they took 100% KIA. I discovered this when I went there for a briefing with Special Agent Finn. I was able to track the HST to its nest where I disposed of it using 50 pounds of Thermite." David lied about the killing of the Jachyra. The general didn't need to know about magic or the Slayer, not just yet any way.  
  
"My God! 100% KIA! What kind of HST could do such a thing?" the general said, sitting up and fully awake.  
  
"I'm not sure but I have some slim evidence that this attack was organized by an outside group. I haven't got very much to go on but I believe that they might be heading to Europe, most likely London and then to a second country as yet unknown. I need to get to London as fast as possible to try to catch up with these people." David lied for a reason, he needed to get to England as fast as was possible, and the general could arrange faster transport than flying commercial airlines.  
  
"Ok, I'll try to arrange some transport for you. Where are you?"  
  
"Sir, I'm about an hour away from March Air Force Base." David told the general.  
  
"Fine, I'll have your plane waiting there for you. But you are not to release any information about this incident or the Initiative operations to anyone with out my express permission. Is that understood?" ordered the general.  
  
"Yes sir."  
  
"Good. When you get back I want a full report. Good luck and good hunting, Major." the general said hanging up. David hung up and decrypted the phone. He then dialed a number.  
  
"Hello, Albert? It's me, David. I'm coming to see you."  
  
Buffy and Giles sat around Xander's bed reading through a pile of books, trying to find something on Murg Dor. Every now and then Xander would stir listlessly as if having a bad dream. Buffy slammed shut the book she was reading in frustration.  
  
"Damn it Giles! Nothing on Murg Dor in here." she said in frustration.  
  
"Well, go through this one." Giles said and handed her another thick tome to search through. Buffy looked up as Willow entered the room.  
  
"How's Spike?" Buffy asked her lover.  
  
"A little better, I left him some blood packets for him when he wakes up. I'm pretty sure that he'll be up and about in a day or so." Willow informed Buffy. She looked at Xander.  
  
"Any change?"  
  
"No." Buffy told her. At this point Xander stiffened suddenly. His eyes opened revealing the sky blue that swirled across them. He began to speak.  
  
"Hello." Xander said, his voice was strange. Not the deep man like voice he had, but almost like a child. "Hello." he said again, but this time the voice was that of a little girl.  
  
"Does it hurt?" Xander asked in the little boy voice.  
  
"What?" he said in the little girl voice.  
  
"Giles, what's going on?" Buffy asked the Watcher who silenced her with a wave of his hand.  
  
"Does your hair hurt? 'Cause it's all red like it's on fire." Xander spoke in the little boy voice. Willow gasped, she knew what was going on.  
  
"No, my hair's not on fire, it's just red, see? You can touch it if you want." the little girls voice said.  
  
"Oh. Cool!" the little boy said.  
  
"My name is Xander." the little boys voice said.  
  
"I'm Willow." the little girls voice replied. Xander smiled then closed his eyes and slipped back into unconsciousness.  
  
"Willow, what the hell was that all about?" Buffy asked the Wiccan.  
  
"Um... When I first met Xander on the first day of preschool he asked me if my hair was on fire. He hadn't seen anyone with red hair before." Willow told her, stunned. The voices were hers and Xander's as they were as kids.  
  
"Giles, what's this all about?" Buffy demanded to know.  
  
Giles contemplated for a few moments before saying anything. "I can only hazard a guess, but David said that Xander had undergone the Yhi-ja. It is designed to give him the ability to remember everything. I'm guessing that he is in the process of remembering everything that has happened in his life. All the important things that affected him strongest he would remember the strongest. I suppose that meeting you Willow was an important event in his life." Giles reasoned. He was not far from the truth.  
  
"Oh boy. I don't know if we want to around for many more of these memory flash backs." Willow told Giles and Buffy.  
  
"Why?" Giles asked her.  
  
"Because a lot of Xander's memories aren't exactly good ones." she said, a look of concern on her face.  
  
The B1-B touched down in the early morning light at an airfield in England. David emerged from the plane, very happy at the experience of flying in the giant swing-wing bomber. He quickly located the car waiting for him and drove to Albert's place just north of Manchester.  
  
"Good to see you, David!" Albert said as he hugged the young man. The pair sat in the living room with a pot of tea and some toast on the coffee table.  
  
"So, what's happening with you lately?" Albert asked the young man. David told Albert everything about what had happened since arriving in Sunnydale. At the end of it Albert wore a very concerned look on his face.  
  
"Murg Dor is after the Slayer?" Albert asked.  
  
"It would appear so. Anything happening with the other Slayer?" David enquired. With the death of Faith in jail, the next Slayer had been called.  
  
She was 13 and she was in training in Scotland.  
  
"Nothing." Albert replied. He nibbled on a piece of toast idly. "So you went to the Dreamtime Spirits and among other things they told you to get a book."  
  
"The Chronicles of Golgotha." David told the old man.  
  
"The Chronicles of Golgotha? Good luck getting them." Albert chuckled.  
  
"What's the matter?" David asked.  
  
"Oh, nothing. It's just that they are locked away in the Vatican Black Library," informed Albert. The Black Library was where the Vatican kept its' books which it regarded as too dangerous in the wrong hands.  
  
"The Vatican you say. Well it looks like I'm off to Rome then," said David.  
  
"Wait a minute. You think that they will just let you in there and take the book?" Albert asked.  
  
"No, of course not. I'm going to nick it." David smiled back at the old man. The old man recognized the twinkle in David's eye. It was the look when he was going to do something very wrong and have a hell of a lot of fun doing it. David stood to leave.  
  
"Well, I better get going now." David said.  
  
"Ok. You look after yourself and try not to get arrested. OK?"  
  
"All right. But I need you to do something for me." David told Albert.  
  
"What is it?" Albert asked.  
  
"Could you get hold of a big leather bound book? You know the type used for Watcher's Diaries, but with blank pages," he asked.  
  
"Yeah, but why do you want it?" asked Albert.  
  
"I need to write prophecies of what is to come. Some of it I understand. Most of it I don't."  
  
"I'll have it ready in a day or two." said Albert.  
  
"Good. I'll pick it up on my way back from Rome. The only problem is I'm not sure what to call it." David said.  
  
"You will think of something, I'm sure of it." Albert reassured him. 


	7. Terra nineteen to twenty one

Chapter 19  
  
It had been 6 days since David brought Xander back from the Dreamtime. In that time they had sat down and researched Murg Dor while keeping an eye on Xander. They had listened as Xander had flashbacks through his life, from the beginning to the more recent times. The good times, the funny times, and as Willow had warned, a lot of bad times. The abuse by his parents, his failures at school, his broken relationships. It was heart breaking to witness Xander weeping as he unconsciously recounted the night Jesse died. He had been quite now for about three hours and Giles slept in the chair beside Xander's bed.  
  
Buffy came in and, on seeing Giles sleeping, she smiled at the sight. His glasses were half way down his nose and a leather book lay in his lap. Buffy felt a special love for the man who was her Watcher. He had been more of a father than Hank Summers had ever been. Giles had put his life at risk more times than she could recall for her. Not only her but all the Scooby Gang. He would never abandon her, never hurt her, he would die to protect her. She quietly picked up the book out of his lap. Giles woke with a start.  
  
"Whuh? Huh? Oh. Buffy." He said coming fully awake "Where's Willow?" he asked.  
  
"She's sleeping in the room next door. Any change in Xander?"  
  
"No, he's been quiet for a few hours. How's Spike?" he asked.  
  
"He left about an hour ago. Said he was tired of being cooped up. I think he just needs some space to figure out what is happening with his life. Well, unlife." she amended. The loss of his arm and the conflict of feeling he had towards the gang was a lot for him to deal with.  
  
"You haven't heard anything from David yet?" she asked him. He just shook his head. Buffy inwardly raged at David. He pissed her off, he had hurt her and Willow, and he had put Xander in danger and then run off. But she held her tongue for Giles sake.  
  
"I take it that you haven't found anything more on this Murg Dor since last night?" she inquired.  
  
They had found a few things on Murg Dor. Murg Dor was a powerful demon warlock who had raised an army of vampires to rid the world of humanity. He and his army was defeated and banished to the ethereal plane by a group of ultra powerful witches and a small band led by the then Slayer and mysterious man. Both the Slayer and the man died of the wounds they sustained in the battle. Murg Dor had powerful magics to conjure demons, slow time, command vampires, and a host of other things that were not pleasant to read. But they had not found out how to defeat Murg Dor or why he was after the Slayer and Scooby Gang. Xander stiffened, signaling another flash back.  
  
"Come on, Will. Look, you don't have a choice here. You gotta wake up. I need you, Will. I mean, how am I gonna pass trig, you know? And who am I gonna call every night... and talk about everything we did all day? You're my best friend. You've always... I love you." Xander said. Willow's voice sounded from Xander.  
  
"Oz?"  
  
Tears rolled from Xander's sky blue eyes. Silence pervaded the room, only to be broken by the sound of sniffing coming from the doorway. Buffy and Giles turned to see Willow standing in the doorway, she too had tears in her eyes.  
  
"Willow! Wait!" Buffy called out but Willow ran into her room and locked the door. Buffy knocked frantically on the door.  
  
"Willow, please let me in. Let's talk about this." Buffy pleaded. After a few moments Buffy heard the door unlock. Buffy went through and saw Willow laying on the bed crying. Buffy held her lover and Willow cried in her lap. Buffy felt helpless to console Willow, a multitude of thoughts and feelings going through the Slayer.  
  
Soon Willow would be willing and able to talk, but Buffy didn't know what to say to her lover.  
  
Chapter 20  
  
Willow's sobbing had eased enough for her to talk. "Damn him! How could Goddamn Oz do such a thing! I always thought that it was Oz that said 'I love you', but it wasn't and he knew it but he let me think that he had said it. Damn you Oz! Damn you to hell!" Willow began sobbing in earnest again.  
  
"Shhhh... It's OK Willow" Buffy said cradling Willow in her arms, trying to comfort her. "Maybe Oz was afraid off losing you to Xander. You're the most wonderful person in the world and no one would want to loose you to anyone else." Buffy said, partly to explain Oz's motives but mostly to express her own feelings right now. Willow took a deep breath and wiped her eyes.  
  
"Willow, tell me. How do you feel towards Xander?" Buffy asked, fearful of the response. Willow was silent for a moment, contemplating her feelings.  
  
"Buffy, I love Xander." Buffy's heart stopped. "I loved Xander since I was little and I guess I always will love him. But too much has happened, too much water has passed under the bridge between him and me. Xander and I can never go back to the way things used to be. I love him but not in the same way I love you. He has always been a part of me and I hope he always will, but you Buffy, you are the one for me. You are like the sun's morning rays chasing the darkness away. I want to fall asleep in your arms at night and wake in them in the morning. I want us to be together. I want you. I love you." Willow kissed Buffy softly on her lips.  
  
Buffy's heart soared. Happiness flooded her very being. She kissed Willow back and embraced her, never wanting to let her go. They held each other for the longest time, just thinking and feeling. Buffy thought about the people in her life. Willow was the most important thing in her life. She thought of her mother and how brave and understanding she had been for Buffy over her life.  
  
She also thought of the men that had entered her life and of all of them; her father, Angel, Parker, Riley; only two would never abandon her. Giles and Xander. Giles loved her like a father, indeed he had been sacked from the Council for just that. Buffy wished he was her real father. She could not think of a better man to be her father, nor a better man to care for her mother. That thought both attracted and repulsed her at the same time.  
  
Xander. It was hard to describe what she felt for Xander. An image flashed through her mind. Xander, clad in white armor, astride a white horse like a knight of old, bearing her and Willow's standard. At times he fought dragons, at others, windmills. Buffy wasn't sure why she had that image in her mind. But the more she thought about it the more it became appropriate. He was her paladin, her champion, whether she needed one or not. He would go into battle for her and Willow regardless of the danger.  
  
Her thoughts were interrupted by a commotion from down stairs.  
  
"Hello? Dad? Anybody home?" David's voice called out. Buffy leapt up and raced down the stairs. David saw Buffy charging down the stairs.  
  
"Hey Buffy, where's..." he got no further as Buffy's fist smashed into his face, sending him flying. Giles came down the stairs, followed by Willow.  
  
David picked himself off the floor, rage burning in his eyes. "Don't you ever just say hello? What the fuck is your malfunction?" David demanded to know. Giles and Willow looked on, not daring to interrupt.  
  
"You! You're the malfunction! You are nothing but trouble. You come here and cause all kinds of trouble. You get some kind of hate spell put on me and Willow which nearly killed Xander and then you take him and get some other spell which causes all sorts of bad memories to surface then you leave him!" Buffy nearly screamed at David.  
  
"Bad memories? You think that Xander or you are the only ones with bad memories? Everyone has bad memories, things they would rather forget. Well guess what? Xander and I don't have the option of forgetting. He will have to live with the memories of everything he ever did wrong in the forefront of his mind for the rest of his life. As do I. As the Slayer you have had death and woe as your companion. Big fucking whoop! I'm a soldier. I also have death as my constant companion. But unlike you, my battles have not been so black and white. Human verses demon. Good and evil. I fought people, with souls like you or I. Some of those had committed unspeakably evil acts while I had to watch and do nothing. Sometimes I later got the chance to avenge the death of innocent people, but sometimes not. I've had to kill others who's only crime was being scared for themselves and their families because some thug told them they were to fight us or have their family butchered."  
  
"I also lost friends. People who I spent years with, people who I had the strongest bonds you could not imagine. Maybe you could. They were to me like Willow and Xander and Giles are to you. I had to give orders to some of them that guaranteed their death for the sake of the mission. I also had some of them die because I fucked up. I walked the unit straight into an ambush. Fine, we beat them. They gave me medals and promotions but they could not give me peace. They cannot take away the memories. The memories of my friends being cut down, the memory of holding my best friend, crying like a baby as I watch his blood and brains ooze out of what remained of his head after a bullet blew it open. They can't take away the memories of wives that lost their husbands and children asking where their Daddy went. No one can. I have to live with all this every second of the rest of my life."  
  
"So you ever so much as think that I don't care about Xander, or you, or Dad, or Willow, I will blow your fucking brains out and hope the next Slayer isn't such a selfish bitch."  
  
David and Buffy glared at each other, their breathing ragged with rage. The sound of Xander coming down the stairs interrupted them.  
  
"Xander, what..." Willow began to ask but Xander walked right past her, his eyes sky blue, walking in a trance. He stopped. Lifting his hand Xander created a shimmering silver screen. Images began to appear. It was an army. An army of vampires. They were charging up a hill towards a group of people. There was hundreds, maybe thousands of vampires racing for the summit where the small group of people were. Arrows fired at the people, their shafts filled the sky. The sky was dominated by the sun, eclipsed by the moon, casting its shadow over the land and bringing forth night. The images slowly faded and Xander began to speak.  
  
"Six shall be called. The Chosen One and 5 who must protect her lest hell return to earth. Six shall fight the army of the demon prince." Xander's eyes rolled back and he collapsed on the floor. Buffy and Willow raced to the fallen Xander.  
  
David didn't move. His face was blank from shock. Finally David spoke.  
  
"My God! It's the War Of The Six!"  
  
Chapter 21  
  
They all sat in the lounge room, trying to come to grips with what had happened. Buffy and Willow bombarded Xander with questions at such a rate that he couldn't answer the few questions that he could. Giles looked at David who was still in shock.  
  
"David, what is this War Of The Six all about?" Giles asked gently.  
  
David came out of his shock and shook his head as if to clear it. "Uh, I need to talk to you Dad. In the library. Now." David said getting up.  
  
Xander looked at David. "Where are you off to now?" Xander asked.  
  
"To the library to talk to Dad. In the mean time I recommend you talk to these two." David said indicating to Buffy and Willow. David and Giles disappeared into the library.  
  
"So, Xander. What exactly happened with you when you went to see the Dreamtime Spirits?" Willow asked her friend. Xander thought for a moment before responding.  
  
"I saw... I saw you, and Buffy, and Miss Calendar. It was at this beautiful waterhole. And you and Buffy were little. Like 7 or 8 years old. Jenny gave me the magic for that vision I showed you and the memory thing. You guys gave me a present each too. Here." Xander said as he dug around his pocket to retrieve the items. He held the three-leaf clover and the black opal.  
  
"Willow, you gave me this opal. You told me to keep it because I'd need it some day. And Buffy you gave me this clover." Xander told them.  
  
"Great, Willow gives you precious stones and I give you grass." Buffy mumbled. Willow smiled at Buffy's comment before continuing on. "Was there anything else, any clues to what we are up against?" asked Willow.  
  
"No. That was all that happened," lied Xander. Until he figured out a few things he wouldn't tell the two girls the rest.  
  
Willow could tell that Xander was holding something back, but she didn't push it for the moment. For now she was happy to have her best friend back. They all just sat and contemplated. Xander gave a little chuckle.  
  
"What?" Buffy asked him.  
  
"It's just this memory thing. I remember everything. Every class, every math textbook, every lesson I ever sat through. And you know what?" he asked them.  
  
"What?" Willow asked.  
  
"I'm really pissed that this had to happen AFTER my SAT's." They all laughed at the thought.  
  
While the other three were talking in the lounge, David and Giles were deep in conversation.  
  
"Ok. Explain this War Of The Six. I haven't come across this in any of my books." Giles told David.  
  
"Of course it's not in any of your books. It's not in any book. Writing has been around for what? 8 or 10 thousand years. This prophecy is 10 times older than that. Six people, The Chosen One and 5 others to protect her, will fight a vampire army. If they loose then hell comes to earth. The War Of The Six marks the beginning of turmoil in the forces of good and evil and of humanity. At the end of the turmoil there is to be a final battle. The battle to decide who shall rule the earth, good or evil. But this will only occur if the War Of The Six is won by good. From what we saw it looks like, the War Of The Six takes place here in Sunnydale. That hill looks like the one I took Xander to."  
  
"The eclipse!" Giles raced to a bookshelf and started to leaf through an almanac.  
  
"When is the next eclipse due?" David asked his father. Giles looked up from the book.  
  
"Six weeks. The next total solar eclipse in Sunnydale is in six weeks." Giles informed his son gravely. David exhaled. They had a little bit of time to organize.  
  
"Ok. So we know that in six weeks, Murg Dor will unleash an army for vampires to open the gates of hell by killing the Chosen One, who will be protected by 5 others. The question is who is the Chosen One?" David asked.  
  
"I think it would be safe to assume that Buffy is the Chosen One." Giles said.  
  
"Ok. Buffy is the Chosen One. I take that Willow, Xander and you will fight with her. I'll be there, so that leaves us with needing one other person. Who?" David and Giles thought for a while. Giles had a thought.  
  
"What about Spike? He has fought for Buffy." Giles put forward. David shook his head.  
  
"No. Murg Dor can control demons and vampires, remember? No. It needs to be a person. Skilled at fighting. Strong." David grew silent. A thought slowly entered his head.  
  
"I'll talk to Albert." David said. Giles looked at David incredulously.  
  
"You can't be serious. Fine, Albert has got powerful magic but the man is 100 for heavens sake!" Giles told him.  
  
"No! I don't mean for him to fight. I need him to try to convince the Watcher's Council to send us the other Slayer." 


	8. Terra twenty two to twenty four

Chapter 22  
  
While David called Albert, Giles went into the lounge where Xander, Buffy and Willow sat and explained what was going on.  
  
"Do you think they really will send the other Slayer?" Buffy asked her Watcher.  
  
"It would be foolish for them if they didn't. This danger is greater than any other ever faced." Giles told them. The fact that he and Buffy had defied the Council shouldn't preclude aid when it was needed. David entered the room.  
  
"Well, I called Albert and he'll put it to the Council tomorrow. He'll let me know then," informed David.  
  
"Fine, in the mean time we need to start planning. David you can start..." Giles started to say but David cut him off.  
  
"No, no, no. You guys are gonna have to make all the plans without this little black duck. I'm jet lagged to the shit house, so I'm off to bed. I recommend you guys do the same. Once we know if we have the other Slayer, then we can start planning. Ok?" David turned and went upstairs to bed.  
  
Xander also got up.  
  
"Just where do you think you are going?" Giles demanded to know.  
  
Xander looked at him.  
  
"The man has got a point. I'm heading for the kitchen for a snack, then I'm hitting the hay G-man." Xander said and left. Giles just sighed.  
  
"Fine. We'll do this tomorrow."  
  
Willow woke at dawn. Gently she untangled herself from Buffy's embrace and softly padded down the stairs to the entertainment room. She stopped at the door. She could see David was watching a movie. On closer inspection, it was 'Romeo+Juliet' and was very near the end. Unnoticed by David she saw him flinch when the gunshot rang out, ending Claire Danes' life with her Romeo. To her amazement, tears rolled down David's cheeks; a look of total sadness on his face at the death of the star struck lovers.  
  
David looked away from the screen and saw Willow standing in the doorway.  
  
"Willow!" David said, frantically trying to wipe away the tears before she noticed. "What are you doing up so early?" he asked, trying to cover up his weak moment. Willow sat down beside him.  
  
"David, it's Ok. It's good to express your emotions every now and then," she said in her gentle voice she used sometimes to comfort Xander.  
  
David just grumbled and looked at his feet.  
  
"So. Let me guess. You really love Claire Danes as Juliet, right?" She asked. David looked at her.  
  
"Yeah. I do. The seen where she and Leo see each other through the fish tank is just so... so... well I don't know a word for it. And her costume, you know the angel one? It is spot on. She is an angel." David said.  
  
Willow smiled.  
  
"I would have never picked you for a guy who was into romance stories." Willow said to him.  
  
"Yeah, I am. I've got a stash of books and movies of my favorites." He stopped, realizing what he said. "You even breathe a word of what I just said to any one, ever, I will make you very sorry." said David. Willow just giggled.  
  
"Ok. Your secret dies with me." she said. The pair sat in comfortable silence.  
  
"Willow." he said.  
  
"Yes?" she replied.  
  
"I'm sorry." David said sadly.  
  
"For what?" She asked.  
  
"Everything. I'm sorry that I hurt you and Buffy. I'm sorry that we aren't friends. I really envy Xander. He has these wonderful people who love and care for him. I would give anything for that. I really wish we could be friends. You guys are great." David said, a sad and wistful tone to his voice. Willow raised one eyebrow.  
  
"Really? Even Buffy?" she asked. He grudgingly nodded.  
  
"Yes. Even her. It's just hard, you know? We get on each other's nerves. I don't mean to, I don't want to, but we do. We got off on the wrong foot and it went down hill from there. We both share a lot in common. But, well, I guess it ain't going to happen. All I ever wanted from you guys is to be your friend." Willow took his hand.  
  
"Well, how about you and I being friends? What do you say?" David smiled at the red haired Wicca.  
  
"I'd love that." he said. His stomach growled, telling them both of the need for breakfast. He got up. "How about I start fixing breakfast?" he said with a bit of a flourish.  
  
"Cool. Buffy and Xander won't be up for a while yet." she said and turned to head for a shower. David stopped her.  
  
"Willow." he said in a serious voice.  
  
"What?"  
  
"It is vital that you guys trust Xander. He has info that is vital in the upcoming days. You need to trust that Xander will make decisions that are for the best. Remember, you guys are the center of the universe to him." he said then left, leaving Willow to ponder what was said.  
  
It was around noon before the phone rang. David answered it in the library. He came into the lounge room where everyone waited.  
  
"Well?" Xander asked him. "Do we get the other Slayer or not?"  
  
"Not quite." he told them.  
  
"What?" shot Buffy.  
  
"Look, Albert said that the Council will allow us to put the case to the full Council in person in 5 days time." David informed them.  
  
"You mean to say that they want us to go to London to beg them for the other Slayer?" Giles asked somewhat dismayed.  
  
"Yeah. Look, it's much better than them saying no. I think we don't have a lot of choice here. I have to make some calls and organize a few things." said David who left the room.  
  
"Great. The Council wants us to go begging for help. Wonderful." Xander said rolling his eyes. Buffy turned to Giles.  
  
"Do you really think that this is necessary?" she asked the former Watcher.  
  
"Buffy, we don't have any choice. We need the other Slayer." Giles told her, unhappy at the prospect. The four of them continued to grumble about the matter until David came back.  
  
"Ok. It's arranged. Everyone pack because we head out this afternoon for London." David told them.  
  
Chapter 23  
  
The 747 touched down at Gatwick airport in the early hours of the morning. The British Airways jet disgorged its passengers, including the Slayer and her friends who emerged from first class.  
  
"Xander, I can't believe you vomited on the floor. In first class, for heavens sake!" Giles said rather testily.  
  
"Hey! I haven't flown before. Plus that turbulence we hit over Iceland, well, no man should have to go through that." Xander complained.  
  
"Yeah, but you know they have airsickness bags for a reason you know." Buffy told her friend.  
  
"True, but Xander here thought that were for storing the airline food that I refused to eat." David informed them.  
  
"Hey! It was a long flight! I might have gotten hungry later on." Xander protested at the extended pick on Xander session. David rolled his eyes at the comment.  
  
"Xander, you want to know what a long flight is? Try the Sydney to London or the Sydney to LA non-stop flights. 22 ass numbing, brain damaging hours. Every minute designed to burn the humanity right out of a person." informed David. They stopped at the baggage terminal.  
  
"Right, we'll find our luggage. Xander, go find us a couple of taxis." Giles told him. Xander left in the general direction of the exit. David looked at his father.  
  
"You are aware that the hotel has a mini bus waiting for us to take us there?" he asked his father.  
  
"Yes. But Xander doesn't." Giles said, a smile edging from his lips. David laughed.  
  
"You are a truly evil man, Rupert Giles." David said.  
  
The gang made it to the hotel and checked into their rooms. Giles had a room to himself that connected to the room that David and Xander shared. Buffy and Willow shared a room across the hall. David and Xander dumped the huge pile of luggage into Buffy and Willow's room. Giles entered a moment later, puffing as he struggled with a pair of bags. Willow and Buffy walked in after him. Trying to get his breath back, Giles pointed at Xander.  
  
"Next time... you offer... to carry the... girls bags,... count... me out." Giles told the young man.  
  
"Come on Giles, it's the proper and decent thing to do." Xander smiled at his revenge for the taxi thing.  
  
"Speaking of decent" David said, indicating to the room. "Girls. You will notice that there are two single beds which" he grabbed one and tried to move it. "Cannot be brought together. So you'll just have to cool your hormones for a few days." David said with a cheeky grin. Willow just looked at the beds, a coy smile on her face.  
  
"I don't know. Single beds mean that we just have to snuggle together more closely." Willow said. Buffy looked at the fireplace.  
  
"Also that big rug by the fire place has definite possibilities."  
  
Buffy said. David and Xander just stood there, dreamy smiles on their faces as the images invoked flashed through their minds. Giles just coughed and spluttered for a bit.  
  
"Right then I'll be in my room where there is no talk of sex." Giles said turning for his room. David chuckled.  
  
"OK. Why don't we meet down in the lobby in, say, two hours?" David suggested. They agreed and went into their respective rooms to unpack.  
  
They all met in the lobby where David informed them what was planned for the day.  
  
"You guys need to go shopping for some clothes." he told them.  
  
"Why? What kind of clothes?" Buffy asked.  
  
"For tonight, you'll need dresses for the ball. Dad, Xander, you guys need to go to this address for a fitting. I've arranged for you have your clothes tailor made." David said handing over a card with an address on it.  
  
Willow looked at David quizzically.  
  
"Ball? What ball?" she asked him.  
  
"The ball that we are going to tonight. Relax. You guys will have a blast." he said.  
  
"Hello. Problem. We are just a pair of college students here. How are we going to afford to pay for said dresses?" asked Buffy. David reached into his pocket and pulled out 4 credit cards and handed one to each of them.  
  
"Keep these. The credit limit is $750,000 per month and don't worry, the bill gets settled at the end of each month by someone else." he said to the disbelieving stares of everyone.  
  
"How? Who?" Giles asked, stunned. David merely smiled.  
  
"Let's just say that I have a very special understanding with a couple of banks," he told them.  
  
"Ok. Everyone meet back here at 4pm. We will get ready and head off to the ball around 6. Any questions?" asked David. Xander put his hand up.  
  
"Yeah, just one. Where are you going to be?" Xander asked.  
  
"Me? I'm going to see a man about a dog," replied David.  
  
Later that day  
  
"So, we are agreed then gentlemen?" the men around the table nodded their assent. The man at the head of the table stood and shook David's hand.  
  
"Major, you have got your self a deal. I'll get some copies made and I give you one tonight at the ball." the man said.  
  
"Thank you sir. It will be a pleasure." David said smiling.  
  
It was 4 o'clock and the gang was in Giles' room discussing the day. Buffy and Willow had gone on an epic shopping spree. Not only had they bought ball gowns, but had bought an entire new wardrobe each, with accessories. Buffy considered that if David was stupid enough to give them credit cards then it was her duty to use them to the full.  
  
Giles and Xander had been a little more restrained on the credit cards. Once they finished being measured for their out fits, Giles took Xander to show some of his old stomping grounds. They too did some clothes shopping, with Giles making sure that Xander got some decent clothes for a change and Xander making sure that Giles didn't even look at tweed. They finished up at Giles' old pub, The Duke Of Kent.  
  
There was a knock on the door which was the porter bringing in the clothes for the ball. Buffy and Willow left to get ready while David helped Xander and Giles. Giles and Xander could not believe the clothes they had for the ball.  
  
"We can't wear these!" Giles insisted, indicating to his and Xander's clothes. Or more rather, uniforms. Giles had the mess dress of a Royal Air Force Wing Commander while Xander had the mess dress of a United States Army Lieutenant.  
  
"We can't wear this. We aren't in the military!" Giles hissed at David. David sighed in frustration.  
  
"Look, the ball is at HM Naval Base Portsmouth. It is easier to blend in if you are military. That way people will not ask too many questions," he said.  
  
"Yes. But what about the questions they do ask? Xander and I don't know the first thing about the military." Giles protested. Xander spoke up.  
  
"Giles, it's cool. I remember all that army guy stuff from Halloween." Xander said.  
  
"That's all right for you but what about me?" Giles persisted.  
  
"Look, if any one asks anything to do with the Air Force, all you have to say is that you spent your career in intelligence at GCHQ. Then tell them that since you retired you have been undertaking research in ancient history. That way you can start talking about things you know about." David informed Giles.  
  
"Yes, but what if they keep asking me about what I did at this GCHQ?" Xander handled that one.  
  
"That's the beauty of it Giles. As soon as you mention intelligence and GCHQ, it all falls into the category of 'need-to-know'. They don't need to know so they won't ask anything more." Xander explained. Giles grumbled a little more but gave up and started to get ready.  
  
When they met the girls to go, it took another ten minutes of convincing them that it was a good idea. They headed off with only Xander thinking this was a good idea. Everyone else had reservations about David's scheme.  
  
To the general amazement of everyone, they weren't arrested. Instead they entered the great hall where the ball was in full swing. They wandered through the crowd until David saw who he was looking for.  
  
"Admiral Michaels, sir. Would you care to meet my guests?" David asked.  
  
"Certainly, Major McWray." The Admiral said pleasantly.  
  
"Admiral, I would like to introduce Wing Commander Rupert Giles, RAF retired." The Admiral shook Giles' hand.  
  
"A pleasure. So, what did you do in the RAF?" The Admiral asked Giles. Giles looked at David in a little panic.  
  
"Um.. Intelligence. GCHQ. That kind of thing. Need to know." Giles said somewhat uncomfortably.  
  
"Oh, right you are. Sorry about that. So, what do you do now. If I may enquire?" asked the Admiral.  
  
"Well, I research ancient history. Kind of a hobby of mine for years." Giles replied.  
  
"Fascinating." The Admiral turned to Xander. "And who do we have here?" he asked.  
  
"Lieutenant Alexander Harris. United States Army." Xander said.  
  
"Where are you posted?" asked the Admiral.  
  
"Fort Meade." he replied, indicating the US electronic spy agency headquarters. The Admiral quickly moved to Buffy.  
  
"And who is this lovely lady?" he asked. David answered for her.  
  
"Buffy Summers. She's with the NSA." David told him. The Admiral moved on to Willow, but before the Admiral could say anything Willow smiled and said;  
  
"Willow Rosenberg, CIA."  
  
Chapter 24  
  
The Admiral took a step back and looked at David. "Good heavens! You really have brought a nest of spies, haven't you?" the Admiral said to David. A little smile escaped David's lips.  
  
"Well, that would depend on whether or not the collective noun for a group of spies is a nest." he told the British Admiral. Without thinking Xander opened his mouth.  
  
"In this case it's a Scooby of spies." Xander said absently. Xander was deafened by the sound of five sets of eyes blinking at him. David recovered quickly to cover Xander's little goof.  
  
"You will have to excuse Lieutenant Harris here, sir. Even his fellow Americans find his sense of humor as strange. Isn't that correct Wing Commander?" David asked his father. It took a second or two for Giles to realize that David was talking to him.  
  
"Oh! Yes. Most strange." Giles affirmed. The Admiral nodded, not quite sure what to make of this motley crew.  
  
"Yes, well. You must excuse me, my wife seems to want to have a word with me. A pleasure to meet you all, and may you enjoy our hospitality." said the Admiral as he made a beeline for his wife. After he had left, Buffy whacked Xander on the arm.  
  
"A Scooby of spies? What planet is you brain on?" she asked him. Rubbing his arm, Xander frowned at Buffy.  
  
"It just slipped out! Besides" Xander rounded on David. "What's with the 'even his fellow Americans regard his sense of humor as strange'?"  
  
"Look, I know the Admiral. He looks upon Americans as strange but likeable cousins and Australians as crude but endearing. He's just a bit old fashioned and needs a little understanding. Besides, now that's over with, you lot should be out there enjoying the pomp and glamour of the ball. Now shoo!" he said motioning for them to go. "Eat, drink, and be merry!" David told them and them walked away towards the bar table. Giles blinked and then smiled. He offered his arm to Buffy.  
  
"May have this dance, Miss Summers?" he asked his Slayer in a way that only an English gentleman could. A huge grin broke out on the Slayers face. She took the offered arm.  
  
"Most certainly, kind sir." she said and the pair headed off to the dance floor. Willow and Xander watched them go. Xander turned to his friend. "How about it Wills? Wanna dance?" he asked.  
  
"OK. But no funny stuff, mister." she said in mock seriousness.  
  
"Certainly not. I wouldn't want the NSA to hunt me down and stake me, would I?"  
  
The night was fantastic. The pomp, the glamour, the air of refinement charmed the gang and the ride back to the hotel was full of talk about it. The following days were full of sight seeing and shopping. Before they knew it, the day that they had to appear before the Council had arrived.  
  
The country manor that they had arrived at served as the headquarters of the Watcher's Council. They were met by a smiling Albert. "Rupert!" Albert cried and vigorously shook his hand. "You look so well my friend!" Albert told Giles. Albert looked at Buffy. "And I take it you are Buffy." Albert said with a grandfatherly smile.  
  
Buffy took a liking to the old man right away.  
  
"Yes. Yes I am." she said, a little smile covering the nerves she felt at being here.  
  
"Don't worry my child. You have many friends on the Council. Not all of us approved your Watchers removal," he told her. He went onto Willow and Xander. "This must be Willow and Xander then. It is good to see the Slayers friends being here for her." Albert said. He motioned for them to follow him.  
  
They entered the manor and headed for the auditorium where the Council had gathered to hear Buffy and her friends. Buffy stopped before the doors. "What's the procedure here?" she asked Albert.  
  
"Well, the Chief Watcher and the High Council will be sitting a the table at the front of the room and the General Council will be seated as the audience. You and Rupert will stand before the High Council and make your case. The High Council and the General Council will then meet and decide. Fear not, child. Many of the General Council share your concern and I think that they might be able to persuade the High Council to grant your request." Albert informed her.  
  
Buffy took a deep breath. She knew that she could persuade the Council. The old man motioned to two young men standing by the huge doors leading to the auditorium who opened them. Buffy and the rest entered.  
  
Everyone turned as they entered the room. At the end of the room was a dozen men seated behind a large table. A man seated in the middle of the table, presumably the High Watcher, spoke.  
  
"Buffy Summers. Rupert Giles. Please come forward." he said. Buffy and Giles went forward and stood before the High Council. The High Watcher looked at them closely.  
  
"You stand here today, requesting the other Slayer be sent to Sunnydale in order to battle this Murg Dor demon. The High Council and I have considered this request and we refuse your request." Buffy and her friends were shocked.  
  
"Further more, it is the judgment of the High Council that both of you are to be punished for your defiance of the Council. The punishment shall be death." 


	9. Terra twenty five to twenty nine

Chapter 25  
  
There was a chorus of out cries at the judgment from the General Council. They were here to listen to the Slayer's request, not to witness her death. The Chief Watcher called for silence. Buffy stood defiant before the High Council.  
  
"What makes you think that you can stop me from walking out of here?" she said, her voice low and dead serious. The Chief Watcher made a motion with his hand and a young Watcher produced a pistol. Instantly there was a flurry of motion that revealed Xander pointing a machine pistol at the young Watcher. Xander was all business. His protective instincts towards Buffy and Giles coupled with his training, meant that any wrong movement on the young Watcher's part would be instantly fatal.  
  
The General Council was shocked at the production of guns into the meeting. David strolled up to the table where the High Council sat. He gave them a smile that reminded Buffy of the cruel smile that Angelus gave when he was enjoying a really bad moment. Without taking his eyes off the High Council, he spoke.  
  
"Albert, I'm guessing you would like to say a few words right about now. Why don't you share them with us?" David said. The old man stood, his eyes burning with anger at the High Council.  
  
"I bring the Slayer here in order for her to ask for our help. Instead, you already dismiss her request out of hand and then put a death sentence on her and her Watcher..." the Chief Watcher leapt to his feet and interrupted.  
  
"He is no longer her Watcher!" the Chief Watcher said firmly.  
  
"She is the Slayer and he is her Watcher!" Albert said defiantly.  
  
"Shut up and sit down you ignorant black savage!" the Chief Watcher yelled at the old man. A hand grabbed the Chief Watcher by the throat and lifted him clear of the table. It was David.  
  
The look that David gave the Chief Watcher was truly terrifying. No overt displays of anger, just a look that was cold, hard and frighteningly calm. It was clear to all that the Chief Watcher's life was a hairs breadth away from being violently ended. David would kill the Chief Watcher with little more compunction than stepping on a bug.  
  
"Apologize to Albert. Or else." David said in a monotone voice. There was no need to explain the 'or else'.  
  
"I'm sorry." The Chief Watcher choked out as David slowly cut off his air. David released the man.  
  
"Good. Now there will be no punishment of the Slayer or her Watcher. While she and I don't like each other much, I have the deepest respect for her and realize how vital she is to this world. As for her Watcher, well, him being my father should be explanation enough. Now, Albert, I believe you were saying something before you were rudely interrupted." said David.  
  
Albert stood before the General Council and addressed them. "A Slayers' duty is to fight the forces of evil and slay vampires. A Watchers' duty is to train her, guide her and aid her in the performance of her sacred duty. The Watchers Council has a duty to train, aid and monitor the Watcher in his duty. What we have seen here today is a demonstration of this Councils' betrayal of its' duties. The High Council sacked her Watcher for trying to stop an old fashioned and barbaric test. It then brings her and her Watcher in under false pretences to kill them. To kill the Slayer."  
  
"I have studied the Watchers Diaries of 416 Watchers and their Slayers. Of those 416, the average life span of the Slayer is 18. 137 Slayers have faced apocalyptic events. All were successful at adverting the apocalypse but only 10 survived the battle. Of those 10, 2 have faced two or more apocalyptic events. Buffy Summers is the only surviving one of them."  
  
"Buffy Summers is the most successful Slayer in recorded history. What makes her different? She is stronger physically than most other Slayers, but not massively so. Is it the support she has received from the Council? Most certainly not. What is it then? I say it is the support she receives from her Watcher and her friends. The love, the care, the reassurance that she will never go into battle alone. That is what makes her different. That is what makes her so successful." Albert said to the General Council. They hung on his every word.  
  
"This Council, this Watchers Council, has the attitude that the Slayer works for the Council. In reality, the Council should work for the Slayer. Things have changed over the centuries. No longer are Slayers illiterate peasant girls of the dark ages. They are highly educated, wise to the modern world, and demanding of a life as normal as is possible. This Council, this Watchers Council, has failed in its duties to the Slayer. I propose the formation of a new council, The Slayers Council, a council mindful of its duties and able to adapt to today's modern world." Albert looked about the stunned Watchers.  
  
"Who will stand with me, who will stand behind the Slayer?" he asked them. Silence. Then the figure of Sam Zabuto stood and walked up to Buffy. He gently put his hand on the Slayers shoulder.  
  
"I lost my Slayer, my Kendra, in the fight against vampires. I trained her in the manner of which the Council dictated. I held myself above her emotional needs and attempted to remove her emotions, lest they make her weak. I was wrong. My mistake cost her her life. A few days after I was told of her death, I realized just how much she meant to me. But it was too late. She never knew how I felt. She was like a daughter to me. I know that many Watchers feel that way about their Slayers, but usually it is only after her death do they realize it." Sam Zabuto looked at Buffy, a sad but determined look on his face.  
  
"I stand with you, Slayer. For you, for future generations of Slayers, for my Kendra." said Sam. Buffy smiled at the Watcher, grateful at his support. She too had fond memories of Kendra and the bond that they shared.  
  
She then looked around at the General Council.  
  
One by one, then in small groups, Watchers took their place behind Buffy and Giles. In the end, over half of the General Council stood with her. The vast majority of them were Watchers from outside England. Giles smiled a triumphant smile.  
  
"Gentlemen," he said to a shocked High Council, "with no further business, this meeting is closed." said Giles and turned for the doors.  
  
"Just one more thing." David said, reaching into his jacket and pulling out a piece of paper. "This is an agreement between the Australian, US, British, and other major governments which guarantees protection and aid to the Slayer and her associates. It reads 'any interference or threat to the Slayer or her associates by any individuals or groups shall be deemed by all nations as a threat to national and international security, and as such, it shall be dealt with accordingly'." David put the paper away. "I would think about that gentlemen if I were you." David said to the High Council. He then turned and with Albert, Buffy and Giles, led the new Slayers Council out of the manor. Once everyone was out, Willow summed up the whole event.  
  
"Holy shit!"  
  
Chapter 26  
  
The next few days were so hectic that they were a blur. The new Slayers Council began setting up and elected Albert to head it. Both the Watchers Council and the Slayers Council had a Slayer. Buffy and the rest of the gang returned to Sunnydale to continue with the preparations for the up coming War Of The Six. The Slayers Council along with Giles and Willow researched more into Murg Dor and spells that could be used in the battle against him and his army. Buffy, Xander and David trained together; while neither David nor Buffy would ever admit it, they learnt from each other in the rare moments that they were not pissing each other off. There was only one major question that hadn't been answered. Who would be the sixth person in the war.  
  
With the split within the Watchers Council, the second Slayer was under the control of the Watchers Council and would not be part of the war. At various times, everyone asked David who would take the second Slayers place. All were told the same thing. "Don't worry. I've got it fixed." David knew what was going to happen, not all of what was going to happen, but enough to know what he had to do. All he could do was wait for events to unfold. Three weeks from the war, the first event in the chain reaction foretold happened.  
  
Buffy and Willow were patrolling when they were ambushed by a group of demons. The fight was fierce, too fierce. The fight had reached its peak when David and Xander, who were patrolling separately from Buffy and Willow, showed up. It was at that point that one demon ran Buffy through with its dagger. Xander and David finished off the demons while Willow tended to Buffy. The wound was deep and was so close to her heart. Buffy's lungs were filling with blood. Willow was frantic. Her lover was dying before her eyes. Willow cried and begged Buffy not to die. David and Xander rushed to the fallen Slayers side. David quickly examined the wound. He looked into Willow's tearful eyes.  
  
"We can save her. But I need your help, I can't do this with out you." David told the grief stricken Wicca.  
  
Anything! Just save her!" Willow cried out.  
  
"I need to draw upon your power and combine it with mine so we can heal her. It's risky but it's the only way to save her." David said.  
  
"I don't care how risky it is! Let's just do it!" Willow nearly shouted at the young man.  
  
David took Willow's hands in his and closed his eyes. He began speaking in the language of his people and a white light formed around their hands. He then lowered their hands over the wound. Buffy and Willow screamed as the light flared and David chanted louder. The wound glowed white then closed over. Exhausted, David let go of Willow's hands and grew silent.  
  
Willow nearly fainted beside Buffy while Xander looked on, fear blazing in his eyes. Fear for Buffy, for Willow, for the world should Buffy die.  
  
Buffy sat up and examined the wound. It was gone, save a small scar. With the help of Xander she stood up and helped Willow up. All three looked at David who was still knelling on the ground.  
  
"What did you do to me?" Buffy asked in a hushed tone. David slowly looked up at the Slayer, a look of incredible age on his face.  
  
"I combined my power and Willow's power to call upon the Chimea spirits to heal you. It was risky, the spirits might have killed me for disturbing their slumber, but I had to do it. If you die before the War Of The Six then the world is lost." David got to his feet.  
  
"Come back to my place. There are other things that we need to decide on." David said. They all walked in silence back to David's place where Giles met them.  
  
"I can't just stop patrolling for three weeks! The death toll in this town is high enough." Buffy forcefully told he Watcher. Giles, upon hearing of Buffy's close call, decided that until the war, Buffy should refrain from patrolling. He paced about, deep concern on his face.  
  
"Buffy, if you die then the world will die. We can't risk losing you," he said to her.  
  
"Giles!" Buffy exclaimed. Up until now only Buffy and Giles had spoken. Now David stepped forward.  
  
"I think I have a solution. It's risky and neither of you will like it much." he said in a quiet reasonable tone. Buffy and Giles looked him.  
  
"Well? What's this big bad solution?" Buffy demanded to know. David paused for a few moments before speaking.  
  
"It's an Aboriginal ritual. It confers a limited invulnerability to the recipients. But its got a couple of risks and drawbacks." he told them.  
  
"Well, what are they?" Xander asked.  
  
"The ritual confers an invulnerability against injury from things not of tooth or claw. Daggers, swords, bullets will not be able to harm you. It will also have the effect of not allowing Murg Dor to cut you down in a hail of arrows during the war. It won't stop a vampire from tearing you apart with its hands or draining you. Basically it means that in order to kill you, they have to get close enough for hand-to-hand combat. The ritual must be performed on the young, so I'm afraid that it can't be done to you Dad." David told Giles sadly. David continued.  
  
"If I'm going to do this then I would want Buffy, Willow, Xander and myself to under go it. The ritual involves bringing about a soul messenger forth from each person. This soul messenger then travels to that persons soul mate."  
  
"Soul mate?" Willow asked.  
  
"It is an ancient belief that each person is created from a lump of clay which is divided in two, each half becoming a person, each half being the soul mate of the other. The soul messenger seeks out the soul mate. Once it does then each person will know who and where their soul mate is. Then the soul mates are brought into physical contact with each other and their souls rejoin and become one. Regardless of where in the world your soul mate is you will know where they are and I'll be able to get them here within 48 hours."  
  
"So what's the risk?" Giles asked his son.  
  
"The risk is that should the persons soul mate be dead, then the soul messenger will also die, killing that person." There was silence as everyone contemplated that thought. David turned to his father.  
  
"I think that we should leave them so that they can discuss it, hey Dad?" Giles nodded. As they left the room, David had one more thing to say. He turned to Xander.  
  
"Oh. By the way, the dress code is the same as last time." David informed him then left. Willow looked quizzically at Xander.  
  
"Dress code? What's the dress code?" she asked her friend. Xander blushed, feeling awkward.  
  
"Um... well... you see... there is none. You have to be naked as the day you were born," he said.  
  
The argument had been going on for almost 10 minutes. Buffy was reluctantly for the ritual. Willow was against it, privately afraid that she would lose Buffy to her soul mate. Xander had not said a word, deep in thought. Finally he spoke up.  
  
"Willow, I think that we should do the ritual. It's the only way that we can have any chance." he said. Willow rounded on him.  
  
"No! No way Xander! We shouldn't risk it! There has to be a better way!" she yelled at her friend.  
  
"Will, this is the only way. Please trust me on this. Please." Xander said in a calm soothing voice. Willow opened her mouth to speak then stopped. She remembered what David had said that early morning. David's voice told her to trust Xander, he knew what he was doing. She looked down at her hands.  
  
"OK. Let's go through it." Willow reluctantly agreed.  
  
The four of them gathered at the hilltop where David and Xander had gone to visit the Dreamtime Spirits. It was also the same hilltop that the War Of The Six would take place. Buffy, Willow and Xander had stared at each other when they had removed their clothes. Xander could not believe how beautiful the girls were and it took him supreme effort not to react biologically. Buffy and Willow gawked at Little Xander, Buffy even going as far as making a quiet remark to Willow.  
  
"I thought we killed the Mayor?"  
  
David, for his part was all business. He gathered them around the fire where they began the ritual.  
  
The ritual reached its peak. David's eyes glowed white, then a mist, every color of the rainbow, lifted from him and hovered over his head. The soul messenger then disappeared into the night sky.  
  
Xander, then Willow, then Buffy's eyes glowed white. Their soul messengers floating above them in a slow dance of motion. Willow, first took Buffy's hand with her left hand, then Xander's hand with her right. Xander and Buffy held hands, completing the triangle.  
  
It was then that David heard a tone. Clear, pure, perfect. It was the same tone that he had heard when he had transferred Xander's pain and emotions to the two girls. Above their heads the three soul messengers twisted about each other. They fused in a dazzling flash of light, then disappeared. David stared at them in shock and awe.  
  
"Oh my God!" David breathed. "Trinity!"  
  
Chapter 27  
  
"What the hell do you mean they are Trinity?" Giles demanded to know.  
  
David looked at Buffy, Willow, and Xander who were curled up on the couch together fast asleep. The ritual had taken a lot out of everyone and no sooner had the three sat down they fell asleep.  
  
"There is a legend that one day there will be three people with one soul known as Trinity. Together they will be a powerful force and lead the forces of good. In the ritual, their souls became one. They are Trinity. God! It explains so much!" David exclaimed.  
  
"Explains what?" asked Xander who had woken up. Buffy and Willow were still asleep.  
  
"Like how you three are so tangled up emotionally. Like how come Buffy has faced the apocalypse so often." David told Xander.  
  
"What has them being Trinity have to do with the apocalypse?" Giles asked his son.  
  
"Look. For eons, the fight between demons and humans has generally favored demons. With the exception of the Slayer and a handful of others, humans have been incapable of fighting demons on anything like equal terms. Now with the advance in technology, demons run the risk of being wiped out. Human weapons are becoming more and more lethal to demons, and demons by their nature cannot adapt to these new weapons. It won't be too long before only the most powerful magical demons will be able to attack humans without fear of being vaporized." said David.  
  
"Like phasers on Star Trek?" enquired Xander.  
  
"Yes. With one of those babies, one person could wipe out legions of demons and vampires. Shit, demons and vampires are already in trouble because of Match Head bullets. So you combine advancing technology and the arrival of Trinity, it means that demons must win now or humans will eventually win. Quickest way of winning for demons is to bring about the apocalypse. That's why you guys have faced it so often. For demons it's now or never." David explained. There was a minute or two of silence as they thought it through.  
  
"OK then, what do we know about this Trinity?" Giles asked.  
  
David shrugged and went to the library. He returned with a pile of books. "You guys start looking in the Althos Works, I'll start with the Chronicles of Golgotha." he said as the three of them started researching. Twenty minutes later, David spoke.  
  
"Proeliator consisto lumen, custos cretatus, veneficus consisto flamma, voluntas fieri modus. Tunc vinculum mos consisto scelratus." David read from the Chronicles of Golgotha. He had not had a chance to read it since stealing it from the Vatican Black Library, something that he truly regretted now.  
  
"Well? In English?" Xander asked.  
  
"Warrior of light, guardian in white, witch of flame, will be bond. And then the bond will be formed with blood." David roughly translated.  
  
"Still not getting it." Xander said. Giles took his glasses off and began cleaning them as he explained.  
  
"The warrior of light would refer to Buffy. Witch of flame is probably Willow, which means that you are the guardian in white. You three will be bond. Obviously it means the ritual. But I'm not sure what it means where it talks about the bond will be formed with blood."  
  
In that moment, David knew what it meant. The last piece had fallen into place. David was as scared as he had ever been in his whole life. He stood and walked out.  
  
"David? Where are you going?" Giles asked.  
  
David stopped and turned. The fear and sadness on his face evident. "I just need to get some sleep. I'll see you both in the morning." David said quietly and left.  
  
The next morning saw David and Xander, down in the armory checking weapons for the war.  
  
"Xander? What's it like? You know, to be Trinity?" David asked. Xander stopped what he was doing and thought for a few moments.  
  
"It's hard to describe. There are all these strange feelings running through me. It's like a heightened sense of awareness of Buffy and Willow. I feel what they feel, and they feel what I feel. It's a connection deeper and stronger than anything you could think of. Each of us has this connection that goes beyond love or caring or any emotion. We are one with each other. It's as if we had been living in a two-dimensional world and now there is this third dimension that we have suddenly become aware of." explained Xander. David merely nodded and took it in. They resumed cleaning and checking the weapons when Xander asked David a question that had bugged him all morning.  
  
"So, what about your soul mate?" David stopped briefly.  
  
"Not coming." he said and resumed work.  
  
"What do you mean 'not coming'? How could they be not coming?" Xander insisted. David threw down the gun in anger.  
  
"I mean that they can't come to me and I can't go to her! So just leave it!" David yelled at Xander then stomped off. Xander watched his friend go and wondered what it all meant.  
  
Later that day, Xander discussed what had happened in the armory with Giles, Buffy and Willow.  
  
"His soul mate can't be dead, otherwise David would have died last night." Buffy pointed out.  
  
"With all the resources of several governments behind him, you would think that getting someone here would be easy." said Giles.  
  
"I'm more worried about this sixth person we need for the War Of The Six. David said he has it under control, but I'm not comfortable with that." Willow said. Xander exhaled.  
  
"Will, we just have to trust him in this." he said.  
  
Chapter 28  
  
The next morning, Xander and David were going over their part in the plan for the War Of The Six. Giles, Willow, and the Slayers Council were working together on the magic aspect of the war while Buffy was helping the Slayers Council set it self up in a way that was best for Slayers.  
  
Giles was returning in the afternoon from LA, having picked up some needed supplies from a rare magic shop. Xander and David were sitting in the library while Buffy and Willow had disappeared about an hour ago in the gym.  
  
David had finished showing Xander his plan for the battle.  
  
"Interesting." Xander said thoughtfully. "But I think there is a better way."  
  
"What? How? Show me." David said, a little taken back. Xander had good military training, thanks to his Halloween costume, but David wasn't sure that it covered battle planning or strategy.  
  
"OK. This is an idea. First..." Xander laid out his own plan. David listened then tried to find some fatal flaw in Xander's plan. There was none.  
  
"Xander, you are a dead set genius. How did you come up with this? Why didn't I think of this?" David asked.  
  
"Different training, different experience. Your army are masters at small unit, hard hitting, mobile warfare. No one does it better. But this situation calls for massive firepower and brute force. And nobody does it better than Uncle Sam." Xander explained to an impressed David.  
  
"OK Stormin' Norman, I'll arrange to get the gear that you need for this dog and pony show of yours. What exactly do you need?"  
  
"First, I'll need as many H&K GMG 2000's as you can get your hands on. Next I'll..." Xander's voice trailed off as he started to look strange. He shuddered, and rolled his eyes. David looked at Xander, worried.  
  
"Mate, what's wrong?" David asked.  
  
"Oh God! Nothing. Nothing is wrong at all. Oh boy!" Xander said strangely and then moaned. It wasn't a moan of pain, it was a moan of sheer pleasure. David wondered for a bit. Sure, battle planning and discussion of tactics gave him intellectual pleasure but wasn't something give a man a full-blown happy, which was exactly what was happening to Xander right before his eyes. It took a moment for David to realize what was happening.  
  
Since they became Trinity, Xander, Buffy, and Willow had displayed an empathetic connection. They could sense each other's moods and feelings, even when separated. The reason for Xander's current behavior was probably due to the activities of Buffy and Willow. David rolled his eyes in frustration.  
  
"BUFFY! WILLOW! CAN YOU PLEASE CUT THAT SHIT OUT! I'M TRYING TO TALK TO XANDER DOWN HERE!" David yelled at the top of his lungs. Xander continued to writhe in happiness.  
  
"I SAID CUT THAT SHIT OUT! I'M TRYING TO TALK TO XANDER!" David bellowed in frustration. Nothing. It was getting down right uncomfortable watching Xander.  
  
"ALL RIGHT, YOU ASKED FOR IT!" David yelled then went over to Xander and kicked him in the shin.  
  
"OW!!" Xander yelped and grabbed his leg. Faintly, David heard a similar cry of pain come from the two girls. Xander looked at David in annoyance. David merely shrugged.  
  
"Sorry about that mate, but I did ask them to stop."  
  
Their days were spent in preparation for the War Of The Six. The last few days before the war, David and Xander spent their time preparing their position on the hilltop in accordance with Xander's plan. The morning of the war Buffy, Willow, Xander, Giles and David surveyed the battlefield.  
  
Willow and Giles had gone to the battlefield earlier to try and determine exactly where Murg Dor and his vampire army would appear. Together they had discovered a front of mystical energy that they believed to be where Murg Dor would come from. Using this information, Xander was able to orientate his battle plan.  
  
The land around the hill was cleared for almost a mile, providing a clear field of fire. Belts of Claymore mines and thermite mines were set up, ready to decimate the vampires. Near the top of the hill four pits had been dug and a H & K GMG 2000 had been emplaced in each. The H&K GMG (or Grenade Machine Gun) fired 40mm incendiary grenades designed to burst in the air and toast any thing with in 2 or 3 yards. They were fitted with an experimental automatic target finder and were autonomous. Capable of firing at 350 rounds a minute, they had enough ammunition to last out the eclipse.  
  
At the top of the hill a pit had been dug and this was where they would fight from. Several MAG 58 machine guns with Match Head rounds were there for personal use by the group. Willow and Giles were their magic team.  
  
Together they would detect any spell that Murg Dor cast and then counter it. They also had quite a number of other spells provided from the Slayers Council to use on Murg Dor and the vampire army. Should any vampire get into the pit where Buffy and the rest of them were, then the next defensive measure would be activated. It consisted of a sprinkler system that sprayed Holy Water in the pit. Everyone had crosses and stakes as a last ditch measure.  
  
The idea was not to wipe out the vampire army, it was rather to slow them down long enough for the eclipse to end and the sun to reappear. The sun would turn the vampires to ashes and Murg Dor would lose. The critical thing was that as the Chosen One, Buffy needed to survive until the sun came out from behind the moon. Everything else was not important, including Buffy's friends.  
  
They all stood in the pit, surveying the surrounding land. Each was in quiet contemplation of the up coming battle. Buffy looked at her watch in anger and then rounded on David.  
  
"OK, Captain Kangaroo. It's only a few minutes before this eclipse starts and there is no sign of your friend, you know, number six? As in the sixth person to make up this War Of The Six. There are only 5 people here." she said accusingly at David. David had a calm, almost resigned look on his face. Perhaps there was even a hint of sadness.  
  
"They are here. We have our six." he said.  
  
"WHERE? HAVE YOU BROUGHT SOME INVISIBLE MAN? YOU ARE SO FULL OF SHIT!" Buffy screamed at David.  
  
"You want to know who the sixth person is? Fine! Six people are to fight an army of vampires to save the world. A Chosen One and five others to protect her. Well, you as the Chosen One, Buffy, have 5 people to protect you. Xander, me, Dad, Willow and..." David paused for a moment. "... and Willow's unborn child." Everyone stood looking at David in stunned silence.  
  
Buffy snapped and grabbed David by his shirt. "WILLOW'S PREGNANT?" Buffy yelled at David.  
  
"I'm not! I mean I can't! I haven't had, well you know, with a guy since Oz left! That was almost a year ago! I can't be pregnant!" Willow babbled. A light bulb went over Giles' head.  
  
"Warrior of Light, Guardian in White, Witch of Flame, will be bond. And then the bond will be formed with blood. The child is from the bond." said Giles.  
  
"What?" Buffy and Willow asked at the same time.  
  
"The moment you three had your soul combined, that must have been when the child was conceived." Giles said a little stunned. Buffy looked at David, anger burning in her eyes.  
  
"You knew! You knew for weeks but you didn't tell us!" Buffy roughly shook David. "Why didn't you tell us?" she yelled at David.  
  
"You want to know why?" David said angrily, and shoved Buffy away from him. "I couldn't tell you. I was not allowed! There are shit tins of stuff that I know but I couldn't tell you. Some things must happen and if you knew then they wouldn't happen the way they should, even the things I don't like or want! You think I like knowing things and not being able to say anything? Things that are so important and impact on the lives of friends and family? No one does, but I had to do what I had to do. Like it or not." He looked up into the sky and saw the moon passing in front of the sun.  
  
"It's almost time. Everyone take your positions," instructed David.  
  
Everyone moved to their spots. Buffy glared at David.  
  
"Buffy, if you want to discuss this more, then wait until this is over, OK?" Giles told his Slayer. They stood there, waiting. The only sound was the light breeze that blew across the hill. Giles gave a small chuckle.  
  
"What?" David asked.  
  
"Today is Saint Crispin's day, isn't it?" Giles asked his son. David shrugged.  
  
"I dunno, maybe." David replied. Giles gave another chuckle and turned to face everyone. Standing before them, Giles saw his children. He felt great pride at them, and greater love. He stood there, a sense of nobility of what they were about to do radiated from Giles. In a deep and regal voice Giles spoke to his children.  
  
"We few, we happy few, we band of brothers; For today that sheds his blood with me Shall be my brother; be he ne'er so vile, This day shall gentle his condition; And the gentlemen in England now a-bed Shall think themselves accursed they were not here, And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks That fought with us upon Saint Crispin's day."  
  
The smiles and looks from the group said it all. They were ready. Looking out on the battlefield they saw a white mist form in a line a few hundred yards away. Silence gripped the hill. The mist became thicker and more brilliant. It became a solid wall of white light. Then, as darkness fell over the land, heralding the start of the eclipse, an immense sound came form the white wall of light. It sounded as if God had torn the sky asunder. David cried out at the top of his lungs.  
  
"CRY 'HAVOC' AND LET SLIP THE DOGS OF WAR!"  
  
Chapter 29  
  
Vampires. Hundreds of vampires pouring out of the white light. The first wave of vampires hit the mines and was decimated in blast and flame. But for each vampire that was taken out two more surged up the hill towards them. The GMG's opened up and, along with the fire from Buffy, Xander and David, further decimated their numbers.  
  
Behind them, Giles and Willow started to cast spells from the book that they had compiled. They transformed the ground into a bog like quagmire to slow the vampires. They sent fire balls into their midst, they sent confusion and fear into the minds of the vampires. But regardless of what spell was cast it would be countered by Murg Dor who would cast his own spells that Willow and Giles countered as well. The mass of demons drew closer.  
  
Looking at the rate that the vampires advanced, Xander saw that the vampires would eventually get to the hilltop, but not before the sun reappeared. The vampires were a little over 200 yards away when a number stopped. They raised their bows and the sky became thick with arrows. Arrows landed all around their position, forcing Giles and David to take cover as they lacked the magical protection of the others.  
  
"Xander! For fuck sake, take out those archers!" David yelled above the roar of battle. Xander poured fire at the archers who exploded into flame as the Match Head rounds hit. The hail of arrows began to diminish.  
  
The sound of the GMG's diminished and Xander swore. "Shit! Two of the GMG's have stopped firing!" Xander told David who looked up at the battlefield. Sure enough two GMG's had stopped firing. Now it was David's turn to swear.  
  
"Oh fuck!" he said and looked at Buffy and Xander. Buffy was machine like as she dealt mechanized death to the vampires. Her face hard, her jaw set determinedly as she replaced the barrel of her weapon, reloaded and continued killing.  
  
"I'm going to have to try to fix them." David told Xander. With two GMG's down the rate of the vampires advance increased. If the GMG's were not brought back on line then the mass of vampires would reach them before the sun reappeared. David yelled to Xander and Buffy.  
  
"Cover me!" and then David climbed out of the pit and ran towards the GMG's. David reached the first GMG as a group of vampires managed to break clear of the mines and raced toward the summit where Buffy stood. David saw that the GMG had jammed and he raced to clear the jam before more vampires came through the break.  
  
They saw the group of vampires that broke clear and sent fire and bullets into their numbers. Despite nearly wiping the group of vamps out, several vampires made it into the pit.  
  
"Giles! The spray!" Buffy yelled as she pulled out her stake and started fighting the vamps. Giles hit the switch that started the spray of holy water inside the pit. The vampires roared in pain and tried to climb out of the pit but Buffy dusted them.  
  
David yanked the action of the GMG and the weapon began to fire again. He then headed to the other weapon. As he approached it a second group of vampires was trying to follow the first group to the pit. David sent Spirit Fire at them, turning them to ash and creating a wall of fire that temporarily blocked the way.  
  
Once David got to the second GMG he saw the reason for it stopping. A random arrow had torn out the control wiring between the automatic aiming system and the gun. It couldn't be fixed before the vampires reached Buffy. Swearing as only a soldier can, David switched the weapon to manual and began sweeping the vampires with fire. The vampire army began to crumble under the sustained fire.  
  
Murg Dor saw that his army would not be able to reach the humans before the sun reappeared. Murg tried to slow time to allow his vampires time to kill the humans but it was countered but magic from the summit. The reduction of fire after the GMG's stopped gave Murg renewed hope that was dashed when they resumed firing. With only a minute or two before the sun came out from behind the moon, Murg Dor had one final chance to kill the Chosen One. Himself.  
  
Buffy and the gang saw a figure advance toward them. Seemingly impervious to the mines and rounds sent it way, the group gasped in horror as they realized that it was none other than Murg Dor.  
  
Murg Dor was similar in appearance to the Jachyra but was more powerfully built and a sickly green color. An air of pure evil radiated from him, his black eyes seemingly sucked the light into them. David jumped out of the GMG pit and put himself between Buffy and Murg Dor. With a yell, David sent Spirit Fire at Murg Dor who roared as it burnt his green scaly flesh. Murg Dor advanced onto David and slashed at the man before him. With a wet ripping sound, Murg Dor flung David aside like a rag doll.  
  
"NO!!!" Giles yelled as he saw what had happened and in blind rage he attacked Murg Dor. Murg picked Giles up and threw him back into the pit, twisting Xander's knee and impaling Giles through the hip with a section of pipe. Murg Dor clambered into the pit.  
  
Xander could do nothing but watch as Murg entered the pit. Willow stood between Murg and Buffy as she gathered her magic to fight Murg Dor. She let lose a barrage of magic but Murg Dor used his own magic to shield himself from it.  
  
Seeing the uneven fight, Xander began to weep. It wasn't fair. Just when they had finally found happiness. Despair filled Xander. Then something flashed through his mind. The opal that Willow gave him in the Dreamtime! Xander dug his hand into his pocket and pulled out the opal. It throbbed with energy. As he held it, the situation became clear. David and Giles were wrong! Buffy wasn't the Chosen One that Murg Dor needed to kill, Willow's child was!  
  
Ignoring the pain of his twisted knee, Xander limped up behind Murg Dor and with an inhuman yell, buried his hand with the opal in it deep inside Murg Dor. Magic flowed through Xander and exploded out of the opal. With a final wail, Murg Dor disintegrated under the force of the white light that burned through him.  
  
The magic flowed through Xander unabated as he sent it into the vampires that had come so near. White fire reduced dozens to ashes as it chased the now fleeing vampires down the hill. The magic stopped only when the sun reappeared from behind the moon, reducing the remaining vampires to ashes. Xander's legs gave way and he fell on the ground that had been fused into a green glass beneath his feet from the magic. Buffy and Willow removed Giles from the pipe and helped Xander and Giles out of the pit and to David. David lay on the ground that was soaked with his blood. He was nearly torn in half from Murg Dor's attack. He slowly blinked at them as Giles openly wept and cradled David's head in his arms. Xander sat beside his friend.  
  
"Don't cry Dad." David said weakly to his father.  
  
"You can't die! You can't die now!" Giles cried.  
  
"Journey's end." David told Giles. Xander looked at David shocked.  
  
"You knew! You knew that you were going to die!" Xander said accusingly. David slowly nodded.  
  
"No one can escape their destiny. Mine was revealed to me when I went to the Dreamtime." David coughed up blood. "Dulce decorum est pro patria mori."  
  
Xander looked up at Buffy. There were tears in her eyes as she cried at what had happened. Although she and David didn't get along, she knew how important he was to Giles and she respected the sacrifice that David had made. She saw him in a new light as she realized that they had much in common. Both destined to fight evil and to one day die in the fight. Both had their death prophesied, but Buffy had Xander to bring her back. No one could bring David back. David looked up at Giles with child like eyes full of fear.  
  
"Dad."  
  
"Yes son."  
  
"Take me home."  
  
Buffy could only watch as a grieving father held his dead son in his arms.  
  
Xander looked out across the lights as they were reflected off the water. The beauty of Sydney harbour at night was lost on him as he reflected upon the loss of his friend. They had buried David with full military honors. Publicly, David died of an animal attack while on holiday in the United States but the small number of people involved with the new Slayers Council knew the truth. His thoughts were interrupted by a knock on his hotel door. Opening it, Xander received a shock.  
  
"Spike! What the hell are you doing here?" Xander said. Spike walked in and shoved a bag at Xander.  
  
"David said to make sure that you got this," the vampire said. Xander opened the bag to find a leather bound book and a letter. Tearing open the letter, Xander began to read.  
  
Xander, I'm giving this to Spike to give to you as I won't be able to do it myself. I need to tell you a few things that are quite important.  
  
First off, in defeating Murg Dor, you have sealed the Hellmouth for many years to come. Murg Dor drew much of his energy from the Hellmouth and in defeating him, the power drain will render the Hellmouth dormant and unable to be opened for quite some time.  
  
Second, I ask that you, Buffy, Willow and Dad help train my unit to fight vampires and demons. I have spoken to the government and it is agreed that you will have full control on how they are to be trained and used. I've also spoken to Albert about getting the Slayers Council involved as well. Please do this. I want my homeland to be safe again.  
  
Thirdly, look after your child. She is important to the future of the battle between good and evil. I have written a book regarding what I have been told of the future. I don't understand much of it but you will be able to make more sense of it when the time is closer. In that same vein, hang on to the black opal as somehow it is important in the future.  
  
Finally, look after Dad for me. This will be hard on him but he will have to get on with his life. Don't say anything to him but he is very attracted to Buffy's mum. Maybe you guys can help things along in that direction.  
  
Tell him that I love him.  
  
Farewell.  
  
Your friend, David.  
  
Xander looked up at Spike. The vampire smirked at him. "You know it's a real pity that he's dead. I rather enjoyed how he used to annoy the Slayer." Spike said and turned to leave.  
  
"Where are you going?" Xander asked. Spike looked back.  
  
"I'll be around. Enjoy your book." he said and left.  
  
Xander picked up the leather bound book and opened it up. On the front page was the name of the book that David had written.  
  
Terra Australis Incognito. The Unknown South Land.  
  
5 Years later.  
  
They sat in banana chairs on the white sand of Captain's Beach. On the horizon was the entrance to Jervis Bay and Bowen Island that provided shelter to the beach they sat on. Beyond that lay the Tasman Sea. Buffy, Willow and Xander watched as their daughter played in the sand.  
  
A young boy of about 4 went up to their daughter.  
  
"Hello." he said.  
  
"Hello." she said back.  
  
"You want to see something cool?" he asked.  
  
"OK." she replied. The boy opened his hand to reveal a tiny white sand crab no bigger than an adult thumbnail. She was amazed at the little crab.  
  
"Can I touch it?" she asked.  
  
"Sure." he said. She touched it but the little crab nipped her finger.  
  
She gave a short squeal of fright and jerked her hand back. The little boy threw the crab into the water and looked at her with concern in his big brown eyes.  
  
"Are you OK?" he asked.  
  
"It bit me on the finger, look!" she said and held her finger out for him to see where it had nipped her. The little boy took her hand to have a closer look.  
  
Buffy, Willow and Xander looked on in utter shock when their eyes flashed white. A mist every color of the rainbow lifted from them and twisted together in a slow dance. They fused together in a flash of white light and disappeared. The little boy smiled at the little girl.  
  
"My name's Paul." he told her.  
  
"I'm Jenny," she said to Paul. They giggled and then hand in hand, Paul and Trinity's Child ran down the beach together in search of adventure.  
  
FIN  
  
This is the first in a series of stories, the next in the series is "La Vita Nuova" and "Let the Games Begin" by Kirayoshi, then "A Bucket Full of Sunshine", "Trinity's Child", and "Destiny's End" written by me. 


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